8 NYC Students Have Swine Flu, CDC Says

'We don’t think we can contain the spread of this virus:' CDC official

(NEWSER) - Swine flu pandemic fears grew today as three new cases surfaced in Kansas and California, bringing the US total to 11. Meanwhile, doctors diagnosed eight "probable" cases among New York City schoolchildren, MSNBC reports. The US victims appear to be recovering, in contrast to Mexico, where 81 people have died and the president has declared an emergency. “We don’t think we can contain the spread,” a CDC official said. “It's time to be prepared for some uncertainty.” More»

Assistant principal critically ill with city's worst case of virus so far

(NEWSER) - New York City has closed three public schools where large numbers of student have become ill with flu-like symptoms, the New York Times reports. The assistant principal at one of the schools is in critical condition with the most serious case of swine flu the city has seen, though he has other health problems that may have made him more susceptible, officials said. Four students at the school have also been diagnosed with the virus. More»

(NEWSER) - With panic over the H1N1 flu virus on the wane, some Americans are pondering allowing themselves to become infected in hopes of building immunity against potentially more virulent strains, the New York Times reports. Doctors are split on the idea. "I think it's totally nuts," says a flu specialist. "We don't know enough about how this virus could react." More»

Dozens of children call in sick in second major outbreak in Queens

(NEWSER) - A second school in Queens has been shut down after dozens of students suffered symptoms of swine flu, reports the New York Daily News. Cases have also been found in Brooklyn and the Bronx, and an outbreak is suspected at a Catholic school in Manhattan. The public school closed yesterday, which serves some 400 autistic students, is less than two miles from shuttered St. Francis Prep, scene of the city's first major outbreak. More»

10 students infected with mild strain after returning from Mexico

(AP) - Ten students from New Zealand who just returned from Mexico have tested positive for influenza, and the country's health minister said the cases are "likely" to be swine flu. The students were quarantined after returning to New Zealand yesterday, and one student had to be hospitalized. The minister added that none of the patients was seriously ill and they seemed to be recovering. More»