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New York:
In what has been called a public health crisis in the United States, more cases of swine flu are being reported.
At least eight more cases are suspected in students at a New York City high school, but health officials have said they don't know whether they have the same virus that has killed scores of people in Mexico.
A strain of the flu has killed as many as 68 people and sickened more than 1,000 across Mexico. The World Health Organisation chief has said the strain has "pandemic potential" and it may be too late to contain a sudden outbreak.
At least two cases of the human swine influenza have been confirmed in Kansas and one more in California, bringing the US total to 11.
Kansas health officials said they had confirmed swine flu in a married couple living in the central part of the state after the husband visited Mexico.
The couple were not hospitalised, and the state described their illnesses as mild.
Jason Eberhart-Phillips, the state health officer, said, "Fortunately, the man and woman understand the gravity of the situation and are very willing to isolate themselves."
The man travelled to Mexico last week for a professional conference and became ill after he returned home. His wife became ill later. Their doctor suspected swine flu, but it wasn't confirmed until flu specimens were flown to the federal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Meanwhile, Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova has raised the probable death toll from an outbreak of swine flu to 81, including 20 already confirmed.
Since April 13, "there have been 81 registered deaths which are probably linked to the virus of which only 20 cases have virological checks," Cordova told a news conference after meeting with health officials from across the country.
A total of 1,324 patients with flu symptoms were under investigation, Cordova added.
Thirteen new cases reported in the past 24 hours were added to a previous government estimate of 48 possible deaths from the new, multi-strain swine flu, Cordova said.
Public and private schools in Mexico City and neighbouring Mexico state which were closed as a precaution on Friday would remain shut until Wednesday, May 6, he added.
Schools would also close in San Luis Potosi, the third most affected area, in central Mexico, Cordova said.
At least eight more cases are suspected in students at a New York City high school, but health officials have said they don't know whether they have the same virus that has killed scores of people in Mexico.
A strain of the flu has killed as many as 68 people and sickened more than 1,000 across Mexico. The World Health Organisation chief has said the strain has "pandemic potential" and it may be too late to contain a sudden outbreak.
At least two cases of the human swine influenza have been confirmed in Kansas and one more in California, bringing the US total to 11.
Kansas health officials said they had confirmed swine flu in a married couple living in the central part of the state after the husband visited Mexico.
The couple were not hospitalised, and the state described their illnesses as mild.
Jason Eberhart-Phillips, the state health officer, said, "Fortunately, the man and woman understand the gravity of the situation and are very willing to isolate themselves."
The man travelled to Mexico last week for a professional conference and became ill after he returned home. His wife became ill later. Their doctor suspected swine flu, but it wasn't confirmed until flu specimens were flown to the federal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Meanwhile, Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova has raised the probable death toll from an outbreak of swine flu to 81, including 20 already confirmed.
Since April 13, "there have been 81 registered deaths which are probably linked to the virus of which only 20 cases have virological checks," Cordova told a news conference after meeting with health officials from across the country.
A total of 1,324 patients with flu symptoms were under investigation, Cordova added.
Thirteen new cases reported in the past 24 hours were added to a previous government estimate of 48 possible deaths from the new, multi-strain swine flu, Cordova said.
Public and private schools in Mexico City and neighbouring Mexico state which were closed as a precaution on Friday would remain shut until Wednesday, May 6, he added.
Schools would also close in San Luis Potosi, the third most affected area, in central Mexico, Cordova said.
