The number of US deaths from the swine flu has risen to eight with more than 5,000 total cases, dpa quoted the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as reporting today. The total number of confirmed and probable cases in the US stood at 5,710 with the A(H1N1) virus continuing to circulate with localized outbreaks in several states. In New York City officials have closed several schools to prevent the spread of the disease after a school official who later died was hospitalized with the virus. The number of confirmed cases of swine flu continued to rise, with the World Health Organization reporting Wednesday 10,243 cases around the globe, including 80 deaths. About 70 per cent of those hospitalized with the virus in the United States have underlying medical conditions, such as pregnancy, lung problems or heart disease, the CDC said Wednesday. A CDC study released earlier this week of hospitalized patients in California found that obesity was also a risk factor for the flu strain along with lung disease, immuno-suppression, chronic cardiac disease and diabetes.
