Swine flu fears close N.Y., Texas, California schools

NEW YORK — Cleaning crews spent the day scrubbing down every desk, chair and classroom at a New York City high school. Infected students wore surgical masks as they recovered in their beds. Anxious parents woke their children at night to check their temperature.

The same strain of swine flu that was suspected in the deaths of 103 people in Mexico has infected at least eight students at a large Roman Catholic high school in Queens, and possibly more than 100.

About a dozen students from St. Francis Preparatory school apparently brought back the virus after spending a week in Cancun for spring break. All of the cases were mild.

Swine flu has been confirmed in at least 20 people in the U.S., also in Kansas, California, Texas and Ohio. Many of the victims had recently visited Mexico. The federal government declared a public health emergency Sunday to respond to the outbreak.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said roughly 12 million doses of the drug Tamiflu will be moved from a federal stockpile to places where states can quickly get their share. Several governors requested medication and masks.

Meanwhile, health officials nationwide were monitoring the outbreak, with many saying it was a not a question of whether their state would be affected but when cases would surface.

Health officials along the U.S.-Mexico border were asking health-care providers to take respiratory samples from patients who appear to have the flu. Travelers were being asked if they visited flu-stricken areas.

In San Diego, signs posted at border crossings, airports and other transportation hubs advised people to "cover your cough."

At Los Angeles International Airport, Alba Velez, 43, and her husband Enrique, 46, were wearing blue face masks Sunday when they emerged from the arrival gate after a trip to Mexico.

The Los Angeles couple hadn't seen anyone sick while in Guadalajara but were nervous because of the stream of information about new cases.

"Most of the cases were in Mexico City," Enrique Velez said, adding that the couple were wearing the masks because they're "just cautious."

It was a different story for edgy passengers heading south of the border.

"I'm worried," said Sergio Ruiz, 42, who checked in for a flight home to Mexico City after a business trip to Los Angeles.