May 20, 2009 5:58 am US/Eastern
Baby's Death Appears Unrelated; 26 Schools Closed
Health Dept. Examines Nasal Swabs On 16-Month-Old Baby; More Test Results Available From CDC In Week
4 Confirmed Cases And At Least 4 Probable At Rikers Island Prison Complex
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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An H1N1 strain of the swine flu virus, viewed through a microscope.
AP
Mayor Michael Bloomberg began his address on Tuesday by expressing his condolences to the family of a 16-month-old Queens baby whose death is being investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for any possible link to the H1N1 virus.
The New York City Health Department has conducted tests on nasal swabs from the child who died after being hospitalized with respiratory symptoms Monday night.
These tests did not indicate H1N1 infection. Because the case was fatal, it is necessary to take extra steps to get definitive results. Tissue specimens taken on autopsy have been sent to the CDC for further analysis. Results of that analysis are expected later this week.
Around 9:30 Monday evening, 16-month-old Jonathan Zamora Castillo was rushed into the ER with flu-like symptoms. Less than an hour later, the infant died, prompting an investigation to determine if it is in fact the city's second fatal case of swine flu.
It was initially reported that Castillo's brother and cousin were also being treated. An Elmhurst Hospital official said however that they were treated and released, and have not been infected with the potentially deadly virus.
Meanwhile, the list of schools closing as a result of the swine flu continues to grow. On Tuesday night, three more schools were added to the list, bringing the list to 26 in the city.
The latest schools to join the list are:
* P.S. 130 (Fernando De Soto, 1,081 students), in Lower Manhattan. A total of 76 students were documented with influenza-like illness during the last six school days.
* P.S. 35 (Nathaniel Woodhull, 615 students), in Hollis. A total of 32 students were documented with influenza-like illness during the last seven school days.
* Merrick Academy Charter School (495 students), in Jamaica. A total of 19 students were documented with influenza-like illness during the last two school days.
All three will be closed effective on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, private schools in the Bronx and a parochial school in Queens added their names to the list.
The Horace Mann School in Riverdale said in an e-mail to parents that it will close at the end of the day Tuesday and reopen on May 26. The e-mail says lots of students have been going home with the flu, though no one has tested positive for swine flu.
The South Bronx Charter School in Mott Haven will also shut its doors beginning Wednesday and remain closed through May 26.
Bloomberg also announced the closing of St. Joseph's Parochial School in Queens, where 150 kids were out sick on Monday.
There are now 23 schools closed in New York City.
Click here for the complete list of schools currently closed in New York City.
Friends and loved ones meanwhile continued to grieve for the first New York victim, IS-238 Assistant Principal Mitchell Wiener.
"He was one of the teachers that you could go and talk to if you had any problems," said student Elaina Bailey. "I really liked him and I'll really miss him."
His wife Bonnie, surrounded by those who knew and loved the veteran educator, held a vigil Monday night outside the school.
"He loved coming to work every day," said Bonnie Wiener. "He was happiest when he was sitting behind his desk in his office. He hated to go on vacation."
Wiener spent five days in the hospital before succumbing to the H1N1 virus, which is proving an elusive target for health officials.
Bloomberg also reported 4 confirmed cases of the virus at the Riker's Island prison complex, and at least four more probable cases.
The mayor says authorities can't evacuate the jail, but steps are being taken to try and prevent the illness from spreading.
So far, the outbreak has caused six deaths nationwide. But that's fewer than the average flu season. Every year, the flu puts 200,000 people in the hopsital and causes 36,000 deaths. But make no mistake, anxiety is also spreading. Doctors at Elmhurst Hospital say the number of walk-in patients has increased sharply.
A swine flu vaccine appears to be more difficult to creat than experts first thought, the World Health Organization acknowledged Tuesday as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan met with pharmaceutical companies.
Health officials from around the world are attending WHO's annual meeting in Geneva this week to discuss the outbreak that has infected 9,000 people in over 40 countries, killing 76 of them.
Flu experts have told WHO that vaccine manufacturers will not be ready to produce a swine flu vaccine until mid-July at the earliest, WHO reported Tuesday. Previously, WHO officials had thought production could start in late May.
Experts also found no evidence that regular flu vaccines offer any protection against swine flu.
Symptoms of the swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting as well. Anyone experiencing severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, should seek health care and treatment. The best way to prevent additional cases of flu in schools is to stay home when sick, cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing, and wash hands frequently.
For those who are ill, the recommendation is to stay home until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
Eating pork or pork products cannot spread the swine flu.
Q&A: What Is Swine Flu?
CDC Swine Flu Facts Sheet
Learn At Home Student Guides
CBS News Interactive: Fighting The Flu
CDC Emergency Updates Via Twitter
Swine Flu Twitter Live Search Results
David Burnia's Swine Flu Watch On Twitter
CBS 2's Jay Dow contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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