Two new swine flu cases were confirmed in Israel and as many as 11 in New Zealand, bringing the number of countries with confirmed cases to at least seven on Tuesday. But all, with the exception of Mexico, said the patients were recovering or had been hospitalized with only mild symptoms, leaving health officials struggling to determine why the disease has killed only in Mexico.
In the United States, the number of infections stood at 50. Preliminary tests by health officials in New Jersey had identified five “probable” cases — four people who were recently in Mexico and one who had been in California, The Associated Press reported.
During the SARS outbreak in 2003, recommendations against visiting Canada severely impaired the country’s tourism industry. Canada said then that that warnings were unnecessary and has since promoted the idea that the W.H.O. should be the body which issues them.
Ten other countries are investigating possible cases, including China and Russia, which were set to quarantine passengers suspected of having the flu.
