Swine Flu Roundup--recent headlines

UPDATE:  Where the toddler who died in Houston visited before his death is no longer a mystery......

McALLEN, Texas (AP) -- A Mexico City toddler who became the first swine-flu death on U.S. soil spent a day with his family shopping at a huge Houston indoor mall the day before he began to show symptoms.

New information about where the toddler who died in Houston from the swine flu visited before his death.

“There is a three-and-a-half day gap no one is accounting for,” said Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos.  “We need to look at the possibility that he may have contracted this somewhere either en route to Houston or in Houston somewhere,” said Cascos. “We don’t think it was in Brownsville.”

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Central New York high school student tests positive for swine flu

The Fabius-Pompey Central School District is closing Thursday and Friday as a precaution after a female high school student who recently traveled to Mexico tested positive for swine flu.

The student lives in Cortland County and is one of three possible human swine flu cases reported earlier this week by the Cortland Health Department.

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A Cal State Long Beach student received a “probable positive” test result for swine flu.

The Long Beach Health Department informed the university of the affected student late Tuesday, and early Wednesday morning CSULB Beach President F. King Alexander sent a campus-wide e-mail with information about the student, symptoms of swine flu and a hotline for anyone to call if they have any questions specific to swine flu.

The student who may have been infected lived in the Los Alamitos residence hall. The roommate of the possibly infected student has been moved to a different room where he or she will remain until further notice.

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Three probable swine flu cases in state, two in city (Milwaukee, WI)

Officials announced Wednesday evening at least two probable cases of swine flu have been identified in Milwaukee with a third case in Adams County in central Wisconsin.

In Milwaukee, officials said four city schools will be closed through the end of the week.

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Suspected H1N1 Flu Case Reported at California Marine Base

The Marine Corps commandant today confirmed a suspected case of what the U.S. Homeland Security Council now is calling H1N1 flu, but has been known as “swine flu,” at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

A male Marine reported to a medical clinic on base over the weekend complaining of flu-like symptoms. Initial test results indicate the H1N1 virus, and the service is waiting for further results from testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Marine Corps Gen. James T. Conway said.

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Will NorthCom take over in Swine Flu Outbreak?

The swine flu outbreak raises a lot of fears.

Here’s one you might not have thought of yet: The Pentagon may be taking over more and more of our civil society in this crisis.

[editor's note:  cue spooky music]

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9 Probable Cases of Swine Flu in Illinois

Dr. Damon T. Arnold, Illinois Department of Public Health Director, announced there are currently nine probable cases of swine flu in Illinois: five in Cook County (all within the Chicago city limits), one in DuPage County, two in Kane County and one in Lake County.

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8th Case of Swine Flu Reported in San Diego

“There are now eight cases of human infection with swine influenza A (H1N1) in San Diego County,” Health & Human Services Agency spokesman Tom Christensen said.

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Maryland health officials identify 6 probable swine flu cases

Maryland health officials have identified six probable cases of swine flu in the state.

Three affected individuals reside in Baltimore County and three in Anne Arundel County.

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Should swine flu get a new name?

The Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said the virus was not swine flu.

“The virus has not been isolated in animals to date. Therefore, it is not justified to name this disease swine flu,” the OIE said.

The virus “includes in its characteristics swine, avian and human virus components”, the OIE said, and urged that it be called “North American influenza”, after its geographic origin.

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Soldier’s letters give first-hand look at Spanish flu pandemic

With fears of a swine flu pandemic rising daily, CNN Pentagon producer Larry Shaughnessy remembered a batch of letters from his grandfather, a World War I soldier who battled the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919.

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Nevada: Swine flu patient didn’t travel

A Washoe County official says the 2-year-old Reno girl diagnosed with the first case of swine flu in Nevada does not appear to have traveled to areas of the country where other cases have been diagnosed.

Dr. Randall Todd, state epidemiologist, said during a press conference Wednesday, that another family member is ill as well.

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