Apr 30, 2009 7:53 pm US/Eastern
5 People Become First In NJ With Swine Flu
2 Children Among Those Confirmed By CDC To Have Virus
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) ―
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An H1N1 strain of the swine flu virus, viewed through a microscope.
AP
New Jersey has confirmed its first cases of the swine flu after five people, including two children, tested positive for the virus according to the Centers for Disease Control and the state's Department of Health and Senior Services.
The confirmed cases include a 47-year-old man, 14-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl from the same Burlington County family who recently traveled together to Mexico.
The children have not gone to school since returning, according to a Corzine administration official who spoke on condition on anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak about the cases.
The other two confirmed cases involve unrelated women -- a 43-year-old from Monmouth County and a 22-year-old woman from Bergen County. One recently traveled to Mexico, the other to California.
The department has launched a stepped-up monitoring program involving doctors and hospitals statewide, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Susan Walsh said. The department also has asked schools and day care centers to be watchful for children with influenza-like symptoms and report them to their local health departments.
New Jersey has stockpiled some 800,000 doses of Tamiflu and other antiviral medications.
The symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of seasonal flu and include fever, lack of appetite, coughing and fatigue.
The U.S. cases have appeared to be much milder than the Mexican cases, although federal officials have said they expect to see more U.S. deaths from the virus.
The New Jersey Department of Health has set up a 24 hour hotline to answer swine flu questions. That number is 1-866-321-9571.
Frequently Asked Questions: What Is Swine Flu?
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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