"Many hundreds" of New York City schoolchildren are sick with suspected swine flu, the city's health commissioner said Tuesday, including a dozen students at a school for autistic children in Queens.
A 2-year-old boy in the Bronx and a Brooklyn woman have also been hospitalized with the suspected virus, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
School staff at PS 177 in Fresh Meadows handed out fliers Tuesday afternoon notifying parents that the school was closed until further notice.
City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said that the school's cases are not confirmed as swine flu but the students have the same symptoms as the confirmed cases.
Nationwide, the number of confirmed swine flu cases has increased to 64 - 45 of them in New York City.
A cluster of 28 cases have been confirmed at St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, which remained closed Tuesday.
The city said there are siblings who attend PS 177 and nearby St. Francis. Twelve children at PS 177 have a fever. Parents said the school told them that several students were reportedly ill with flulike symptoms and warned of a "possible outbreak of swine flu" at the school.
Dalle Holloway, a parent from Queens, arrived at PS 177, also called The Robin Sue Ward School For Exceptional Children, shortly after 1 p.m. to pick up her son.
"The school called all parents saying that there may be a possible outbreak of swine flu," Holloway said. "I'm scared but thank God my son is fine."
Bloomberg said that five new probable swine flu cases have emerged in the city.
New York City began collecting medical samples at PS 177 after reports of flulike symptoms and "more than usual absenteeism," a spokesman for the mayor's office said Tuesday.
The city Health Department sent out a medical team to PS 177 to determine whether any of the students, staff or faculty have been exposed to the strain of swine flu.
Several students are reportedly ill, said Lucia Campos, 18, who came to PS 177 to pick up her sister.
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