According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, a few people get swine flu every year in the U.S. In past outbreaks, swine flu has caused severe illness like pneumonia and respiratory failure. These severe illnesses are occurring in Mexico, prompting the heightened concern over the new swine flu strain.
MICHELE NORRIS, host: And as we just heard from Joanne, the symptoms are pretty much the same as regular flu. They include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In the current outbreak at the school in New York City, people also reported gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. In the past, swine flu has caused severe illness like pneumonia and respiratory failure. We've seen both from the current outbreak in Mexico.