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Heads up: Alabama reports two possible swine flu cases

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swine flu - playadura - flickr

Mexico City, Mexico, April 27, 2009

Alabama health officials announced earlier this evening that two sick schoolchildren in the Huntsville area are 95 percent likely to have contracted swine flu. The students attend Madison’s Heritage Elementary. As a precaution, schools and businesses in the area are closed for up to the next seven days.

A variant of influenza, swine flu is usually found in pigs and most often causes mild symptoms in humans. While regular influenza kills 500,000 people worldwide (36,000 Americans) each year — usually as a result of pneumonia in susceptible young and elderly patients — swine flu this year has caused eight deaths out of 148 cases worldwide.

The World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to 5, the second-highest level, alerting countries to prepare immediately.

Also:

• Birmingham News: Two Madison cases probably swine flu, Alabama officials say

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  1. Wade on Birmingham » Blog Archive » Heads up: What will kill Birmingham first?
    Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 11:36 pm
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    […] if (hours>12){ hours=hours-12 } if (hours==0) hours=12 if (minutes Sphere: Related Content Also see:Heads up: Alabama reports two possible swine flu casesconcrete savannaBig screens, little peopleHeads and tales: Sports and leisureVote 2008: Mayors old […]

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