NZealand checks 56 possible swine flu cases
WELLINGTON (AFP) – The New Zealand government is investigating a further possible 56 cases of swine flu among people who recently returned from Mexico or the United States.
It follows a weekend announcement that nine high school students and a teacher who had returned from Mexico had tested positive for influenza A and were likely to have contracted swine flu.
Minister of Health Tony Ryall said Tuesday a further 56 people who had recently returned to New Zealand and had flu-like symptoms were being tested for influenza A, a type of virus to which swine flu belongs.
“These are people who have been in Mexico or the United States in the last two weeks,” Ryall told a press conference.
Up to 45 swine flu cases connected to NYC school
The number of confirmed cases in New York rose from eight to 28 on Monday. The city said it has an additional 17 probable cases. All of the cases involved students, their relatives and at least one teacher from the St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, city officials said.
More than 160 sick students were treated at the school nurse’s office Thursday and Friday, and Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said he expected more cases from the community to be confirmed. Some students received doses of Tamiflu, the medication that can help alleviate symptoms of the flu.
The rising number of cases put the city on edge. People were showing up at hospitals asking to be tested for swine flu when they had light flu symptoms. New Yorkers had depleted some pharmacies’ stockpile of paper face masks by Monday morning.