U.S. confirmed swine flu cases rise to 64, 5 hospitalized

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

The entrances to the offices of Ernst
Young is seen in New York April 28, 2009. Another New York City case
of swine flu has been confirmed, striking an employee at the accounting
firm of Ernst Young who worked at the company's Times Squares
headquarters, a spokesman said on Tuesday. But the company issued a
statement on Tuesday saying it could no longer confirm it was a verified
case, although it said "out of an abundance of caution we have taken
appropriate steps to protect the health of our employees."
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Photo
Gallery

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of
confirmed human swine flu cases in the United States has risen to 64, with at
least five patients having been hospitalized, a health official said Tuesday.

"I fully expect we will see deaths from this
infection," as swine flu cases are investigated, said Richard Besser, acting
director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta
(CDC).

According to Besser, the hospitalizations include
three in California and two in Texas. Their ages range from seven to 54.

However, the CDC reported no new infection sites
beyond five states already afflicted. Besser said there are 45 confirmed cases
in New York city, 10 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio.
However, at least four other cases have been reported by states.

"We are in a pre-pandemic period," the official said,
adding that the CDC is stepping up laboratory cultivation of the swine flu virus
for an eventual vaccine. 

Three more die of swine flu in Mexico
City, authorities say measures working

MEXICO CITY, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Three more people died
in the last 24 hours of swine flu, Mexico City officials told a Tuesday press
conference, adding that local authorities had ordered the closure of more public
places.

The total number of deaths in the city believed to be
related to swine flu is now 25, while 89 people are in hospital with swine-flu
symptoms, said Armando Ahued Ortega, head of the city's health department. He
said that 31 people had been hospitalized on Monday while 14 had been discharged
from hospital. Full story

U.S. authorities consider changing
name of "swine flu"

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. authorities said
on Tuesday that they were considering changing the name of "swine flu" to remove
misunderstanding by pork importers from the country.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters that the
United States is concerned not only about safety but also its impact on the
economy. Full story

White House asks for $1.5 bln for
fighting swine flu

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The White House asked
Congress to approve 1.5 billion U.S. dollars on Tuesday in a response to the
fast spreading swine flu outbreak that has sickened over 60 in the United
States.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told a press conference
that President Barack Obama raised the request to Congress in a letter "out of
an abundance of caution" in order to "enhance our nation's capability to respond
to the potential spread of this outbreak." Full story

Chinese President Hu calls for
stepped-up efforts to prevent swine flu

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China went on full alert
Tuesday to guard against swine flu, as authorities ordered round-the-clock
monitoring of the deadly virus and suspension of pork imports from Mexico and
the United States.

Chinese President Hu Jintao Tuesday ordered the country to
step up inspection and quarantine measures to prevent swine flu from entering
China and ensure public health and safety. Full story

Health minister: "Probable" swine flu death toll reaches 152 in
Mexico

MEXICO CITY, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Mexican Health Minister
Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos said late Monday that "probable" deaths toll from
swine flu rose to 152 in the country. Full story

U.S. swine flu cases rise to 40, drug
stockpile released

WASHINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. health officials
said Monday that there are now up to 40 cases of swine flu in five U.S. States
and they had released 25 percent of a federal drugs stockpile to states fighting
swine flu.

Briefing reporters at a news conference in Atlanta on
Monday, Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC, said 20 new cases were
confirmed due entirely to further testing in New York at a school in Queens,
bringing the New York total to 28. Full story

WHO raises pandemic alert level from
Phase 3 to Phase 4

GENEVA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Amid the rapid spread of
swine flu in some countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday
raised its pandemic alert level from Phase 3 to Phase 4, warning of a
significant increase in the risk of a pandemic.

Following the advice and guidance of an emergency
committee, WHO Director-general Margaret Chan decided to raise the alert level
from the current Phase 3 to Phase 4, a WHO official told the media on a
teleconference. Full story

Swine flu has become "most serious
concerns" of international community, UN chief says

UNITED NATIONS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The unique strain of
swine influenza suspected of killing nearly 150 people in Mexico and spreading
rapidly to other countries is of "the most serious concern" to the international
community, including the United Nations, UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki moon told
reporters here on Monday.

"We are concerned that this virus could cause a new
influenza pandemic," he said in a statement read to the press here. "It could be
mild, in its effects, or potentially severe." Full story

Report: ROK confirms first swine flu
case

SEOUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Republic of Korea (ROK)
confirmed on Tuesday the first case of human infection of swine influenza, the
Yonhap news agency reported. Full story

China's Health Ministry on high alert
for swine flu

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Health
(MOH) is developing a diagnostic reagent for use in testing for swine flu, which
has killed more than 100 people in Mexico, an MOH spokesman said Monday.

Research on a possible vaccine and medication to combat
the deadly virus was also underway, MOH spokesman Mao Qun'an told Xinhua. Full story

Two hospitalized in NYC, confirmed swine flu cases a lot more than 45, mayor says

NEW YORK, April 28 (Xinhua) -- One adult and one child have been hospitalized in New York and the city's confirmed swine flu cases could be much higher than the 45 as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday.

Both hospitalized patients, a two-year-old Bronx boy and a woman in Brooklyn with suspected swine flu, are now recovering, the mayor said.

So far, all the confirmed cases are from St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, Queens, though authorities are probing P.S. 177, a public school not far away from St. Francis, and Ascension School in Manhattan for possible cases.

Bloomberg warned that the number of confirmed cases in St. Francis Preparatory School could go much higher if all the more than 100 students with flu-like symptoms were tested.

"We can get a lot more by just testing everybody at St. Francis," the mayor told a press conference. "You'll be shocked if out of the other 100 plus students who have a cough and a fever don't have it."

So far, the majority of the cases are all very mild and need no hospitalization.

Bloomberg said authorities have decided to stop testing each and every one of them because "it does not add any new information."

"If they are very sick, we'll test every case in the city," he said. "If they are just mild, we're just going to focus on other things."

Bloomberg said there are five new probable cases in New York City, with two unrelated to the St. Francis private school.

Eleven students at P.S. 177, a special needs school that is also known as the Robin Sue Ward School for Exceptional Children, were sent to hospital Monday after complaining of high fever. Three adults, including the school's assistant principal, were also sent home.

The assistant principal tested negative for swine flu.

According to the school's guidance counselor, the child of one of the teachers at P.S. 177 is one of the students at St. Francis Preparatory School who is confirmed to have swine flu.

Aside from St. Francis, which remained closed Tuesday, and P.S.177, where students were sent home with a letter saying the school would be closed on Wednesday, most of the city's schools remained open.

In flyers taken home by students, the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene urged parents to be "alert but calm."

There were no evident signs of panic in New York, though some of the city's drug stores have run out of face masks and hand sanitizers, as was the case at a Rite Aid on Northern Boulevard at85th Street in Queens.

Monica Granja, the 27-year-old manager, said the items had been bought up as early as Monday morning.

"I just hope it doesn't get close to us," said Granja, who has a 7-year-old son.

At a CVS drugstore several blocks away, customers are asked to check back Thursday evening or Friday morning.

On the chain's website, CVS.com, all face masks are listed as "out of stock" Tuesday afternoon, even the one with a warning that "it does not eliminate the risk of contracting any disease or infection," which was available the night before.

In Atlanta, CDC acting director Richard Besser said the total of confirmed swine flu cases has risen to 64, with at least five having been hospitalized -- three in California and two in Texas.

"I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection," Besser said.

In addition to the 45 in New York, the other confirmed cases are 10 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio.

"We are in a pre-pandemic period," Besser said.

In neighboring Mexico, the epicenter of the current outbreak, swine flu was believed to have killed 149 people and hospitalized 776 others. Another 1,070 people were treated for the flu, but were well enough to go home.