There have now been at least 44 confirmed cases of Swine Flu in New York State. Those happening in New York City, mostly at one school and possibly some cases at a second school. The State Health Department said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon that it is monitoring the entire state and testing samples for Swine Flu coming in from several counties, including two possible cases in Chautauqua County. "We have 32 more suspect cases working their way through testing," New York State Commissioner of Health Richard Daines said. "Additional samples have come in from around the state. We have possible cases in all regions of the state. Our laboratory will be doing the preliminary testing on those as rapidly as possible."

"We are aware of two individuals in Chautauqua County who have influenza like symptoms and with a history of visiting Mexico," a spokesperson for the State Health Department said.

"We do have respiratory illnesses in the county and as a precautionary measure we obtained routine samples," Chautauqua County Health Department spokesperson Christine Schuyler said Tuesday afternoon. "There are certain criteria that need to be met in order to have samples tested and one of them is that they have traveled to an area where cases have been confirmed or have been in contact with someone who has had a confirmed case."

There are no confirmed cases in Western New York but even the testing being done nearby is concerning some residents. "Pretty nervous if it's coming that close," one local resident said. "It just came on so fast and to think it could be here already is kind of scary."

The cases in New York City have been mild and victims are recovering. State officials are calling this a rapidly changing situation and local officials are also doing everything they can to keep residents safe. "Just encouraging everyone to take the same precautions to prevent illness that you take with a seasonal flu," Schuyler said. "This is really just an alert for people to be more aware of people who are coughing or ill around them."

Erie County Medical Center, Western New York's regional designated disaster preparedness center, is prepared to assist residents with Swine Flu issues and hospital officials want the public to know the medical center is ready to respond in the event of a local outbreak. "This is the sort of broad medical challenge that we train for and do everything we can to fully prepare for," said ECMC CEO Jody Lomeo. "There is no indication that we'll have a major outbreak in Western New York, but we have coordinated with state and county officials and we are as prepared as we can be for that possibility."

Seasonal flu, which has symptoms similar to Swine Flu, is still active in New York State. Precautionary measures for both seasonal flu and Swine Flu include:
washing your hands often with soap and warm water, alcohol-based hand cleansers are also effective, avoiding people who are ill, staying home from work or school if you are sick, using tissue when you cough, sneeze or spit, keep hands away from your face, avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, clean shared space more often such as phone receivers, keyboards, steering wheels and office equipment, and refrain from sharing personal items such as forks, spoons, toothbrushes, and towels.

As a reminder, Swine Flu symptoms are: fever, a cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and nausea. If somebody is exposed they generally get sick in one to four days. The State Department of Health has set up a hot line number for residents who have questions about the Swine Influenza, 1-800-808-1987.

As of now the Chautauqua County Health Department says there is no concern with local pig farms.

The government has issued an advisory warning travelers to cancel any nonessential visits to Mexico.