Developments on swine flu worldwide

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Developments on swine flu worldwide

By The Associated Press – 1 hour ago

Key developments on swine flu outbreaks, according to Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and government officials:

_Deaths: 15 confirmed in Mexico and one confirmed in U.S., a toddler from Mexico

who died in Texas.

_Confirmed sickened worldwide, 564: 343 in Mexico; 146 in U.S.; 35 in Canada; 13

in Spain; 10 in Britain; four each in Germany and New Zealand; two each in

Israel and France; one each in Switzerland, Austria, China, Denmark and the

Netherlands. Mexico is no longer releasing " suspected " numbers; the number of

suspected cases was 2,498 before the tally was halted.

_A Mexican tourist visiting Hong Kong becomes Asia's first confirmed case. About

300 people were quarantined at a hotel where the tourists stayed.

_U.S. confirmed sickened, by state: 50 in New York; 28 in Texas; 18 in

California; 16 in South Carolina; five in New Jersey; four each in Arizona and

Delaware; three each in Indiana and Illinois; two each in Kansas, Colorado,

Virginia, Michigan and Massachusetts; and one each in Ohio, Kentucky, Minnesota,

Nebraska and Nevada.

_Continental Airlines, the biggest U.S. carrier to Mexico, says it will reduce

flights to the country by about 40 percent and use smaller planes but will

continue flying to all 29 Mexican cities it serves.

_The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the latest swine flu virus

lacks genes that made the 1918 pandemic strain so deadly.

_About 400 schools close nationwide, with about 300 in Texas, 62 in Alabama,

plus scattered closings in New York, California, South Carolina, Connecticut,

Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, Ohio, Utah, Washington state,

Michigan, Maine, land, Tennessee and Nebraska.

_The World Health Organization increases its tally of confirmed swine flu cases

around the world to 331 Friday from 257 Thursday. By country: Mexico 156; U.S.

109; Canada 34; Spain 13; United Kingdom 8; Germany 3; New Zealand 3; Israel 2;

Austria 1; Switzerland 1; Netherlands 1.

_Mexico's chief epidemiologist accuses the World Health Organization of being

slow to respond to the country's warning. Dr. Angel Lezana said his

center told a regional branch of WHO about a spike in illnesses April 16 but no

action was taken until eight days later.

_The World Health Organization says it will stop using the term " swine flu " to

avoid confusion over the danger posed by pigs. It will instead refer to the

virus by its scientific name, " H1N1 influenza A. "

_President Barack Obama, attending a Cabinet meeting devoted to the issue, says

he's " optimistic that we're going to be able to manage this effectively. "

_Public health emergency declared in U.S.; millions of doses of Tamiflu from

federal stockpile being delivered to states; U.S. buying more anti-flu drugs to

replenish stockpile. CDC also shipping test kits to state labs so states can do

their own testing.

_Scattered cancellations or postponements of sporting events in U.S., including

all high school sports competitions in Texas and Alabama state track and field

championships. Also canceled: Fort Worth's annual Mayfest, which usually

attracts 200,000 people over four days.