Source: Xinhua

04-29-2009 10:11

Special Report:   Tech Max

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed human swine flu cases in the United States has risen to 64, with at least five patients having been hospitalized, a health official said Tuesday.

The entrances to the offices of Ernst & Young is seen in New York April 28, 2009. Another New York City case of swine flu has been confirmed, striking an employee at the accounting  firm of Ernst & Young who worked at the company's Times Squares headquarters, a spokesman said on Tuesday. But the company  issued a statement on Tuesday saying it could no longer confirm it was a verified case, although it said "out of an abundance  of caution we have taken appropriate steps to protect the health of our employees." (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

"I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection," as swine flu cases are investigated, said Richard Besser, acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (CDC).

According to Besser, the hospitalizations include three in California and two in Texas. Their ages range from seven to 54.

However, the CDC reported no new infection sites beyond five states already afflicted. Besser said there are 45 confirmed cases in New York city, 10 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio. However, at least four other cases have been reported by states.

"We are in a pre-pandemic period," the official said, adding that the CDC is stepping up laboratory cultivation of the swine flu virus for an eventual vaccine. 　

-- Click for more news in Tech Max >>

 

Editor:Yang Jie