Lab technicians demonstrate one of the steps involved in identifying the H1N1 virus. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
8 new probable MI swine flu cases
6 Kent County, 1 Ottawa County, 1 Wayne County
Updated: Tuesday, 05 May 2009, 1:17 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 04 May 2009, 1:05 PM EDT
Michigan officials said Monday they identified eight new probable cases of swine flu, bringing to 46 the number of suspected cases in seven counties.
The eight new cases include six in Kent County, one in Ottawa County and one in Wayne County.
To date, Michigan has had two confirmed cases of swine flu, or H1N1 influenza A.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not expect to have test results for at least three days after getting a specimen from the state.
Probable swine flu cases have led to the temporary halt of classes at six West Michigan schools , the 19,000-student Plymouth-Canton Community School District, the 1,900-student Richmond Community Schools and a number of individual schools in southeastern Michigan.
The Plymouth-Canton district in Wayne County west of Detroit closed its 24 schools after a 16-year-old high school girl came down with a probable case of swine flu, it said in a statement on its Web site.
"This student in question had limited exposure to others during the illness, but district officials will be disinfecting all of its school buildings as a precautionary measure," the statement said.
She was in contact with a friend who visited Mexico, according to WXYZ-TV.
The district said it will disinfect the buildings Monday and Tuesday and reopen Wednesday.
In a recorded message on its office phone line, the Richmond district said a probable flu case of a high school student prompted officials to close the three schools until May 11.
A number of high, middle and elementary schools closed, mainly in western Michigan and suburban Detroit.
The 1,375-student Utica High School in the Utica Community Schools district north of Detroit was closed Sunday and will reopen May 13, said Macomb County spokesman Phil Frame. He said three students have probable cases of swine flu.
L'Anse Creuse and L'Anse Creuse North high schools in Macomb County also closed over probable flu cases. Other high schools shutting their doors include Fowlerville, and Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard.
Since the outbreak began, there have been 34 probable cases in western Michigan -- 19 in Kent County, 13 in Ottawa County and one each in Muskegon and Allegan counties. Southeastern Michigan has the state's other 12 probable cases, six in Macomb County, the state said.
Two confirmed cases were found in Livingston County and Ottawa County.
Worldwide, there have been 1,226 confirmed swine flu cases, 308 in the U.S. There have been 26 deaths, 25 in Mexico and one of a Mexican boy who died in Texas.
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Associated Press writers David N. Goodman and Jim Irwin in Detroit contributed to this report.
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