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Swine flu suspected in Chicago; death confirmed in Texas; cases in Costa Rica, Germany: Updated
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Dr. Lech Beltowski takes a swab from Tammie Wolff after she showed signs of flu symptoms upon her arrival in Auckland, New Zealand, Wednesday, April 29 2009. Health officials screened passengers from flights that arrived from overseas on Wednesday morning following confirmed cases of swine-flu in the USA . Wolff and another passenger who had arrived from the US, en route for Australia, were quarantined for 24hrs at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital as a precaution. (AP Photo / Greg Bowker, New Zealand Herald)
Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman says a student at Kilmer Elementary School is suspected to to have contracted swine flu. The school, in the Rogers Park neighborhood on the city's north side, has been closed indefinitely as a precautionary measure. Kilmer Elementary is a magnet school, drawing students from across the city. It is located in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood and 60 percent of its students are Hispanic.
Huberman made the announcement at a press conference this morning in front of the school. He said the school would be closed for at least two days. No information was provided on the age or sex of the student. The student is reported to be doing well.
Yesterday, Indiana health officials announced a confirmed case of swine flu at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. The student with the illness had not recently traveled to Mexico, it was noted.
The swine flu has now been blamed for 159 deaths in Mexico and an estimated 2,500 illnesses. All schools in the country have been closed until at least May 6 and large public events, such as Cinco de Mayo celebrations, have been canceled.
In Texas, a 23-month-old child became the first confirmed death from swine flu outside of Mexico. Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta confirmed the death Wednesday morning. The child had recently been to Mexico, officials said.
Across the world, governments are encouraging people to avoid travel to areas where the swine flu is present. That list is growing daily, with health officials in Austria, Costa Rica, and Germany confirming cases of the illness.
Thursday, the European Union is expected to consider suspending all flights to Mexico from EU countries. The request is coming from France, which so far has no confirmed cases of swine flu.
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