Swine Flu Appears in NYC

How did it get from the border with Mexico all the way to the northeast? At least eight high school students are suspected of having been infected with the dreaded swine flu virus, which is making health officials nervous all around the globe. Tests on the students' noses and throats found "a non-human strain of influenza type-A, indicating probable cases of swine flu" the Associated Press reports. The virus is a combination of bird, pig, and human influenzas; it remains unclear just how contagious it really is, though the WHO chief has said there is "pandemic potential." Hospitals in NYC have already been inundated with people who suspect they have contracted the sickness. Even the White House had to check for infection, as Barack Obama was in Mexico when the outbreak began and even met with an archaeologist who died shortly afterwards from flu-like symptoms. The president received a clean bill of health. So far, there have only been 11 confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S., with no fatalities.