The threat of swine flu continues to rattle the US with the Illinois public health department reporting nine probable cases. The "relatively mild" cases include a 12 year-old girl, two young men in their 20's and two women in mid thirties.
Three schools in the Chicago have been closed. Officials at all three schools are awaiting further lab testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tests by the health department found five people in the city and four in the suburbs, ranging in the age of 6 to 57 years, who have fallen ill from the new flu virus.
"Our goals during this public health emergency are to quickly identify cases of swine flu and reduce the spread and severity of the illness," Illinois Department of Public Health Director Damon Arnold said in a statement. A proclamation made by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn allows officials to distribute medicines and medical supplies from the state and federal stockpiles to hospitals and local health departments, so that they are available when needed.
"We have to spend whatever is necessary to protect the public's health and safety," Quinn said. So far, officials have issued warnings about washing hands and limiting exposure to crowds. The flu outbreak that already has caused one death in Texas and 159 in Mexico has affected thousands of people across the world.
Schools have been closed in Illinois, New York City, Texas, California, South Carolina, Connecticut, Minnesota and Ohio as a precautionary measure to check the deadly virus.
