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Potential swine flu cases tracked in Google map

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Photo courtesy of Google Maps

By EMS1 Staff

WASHINGTON — Health officials reported 40 confirmed cases of swine influenza infections in the United States, prompting tighter screening guidelines at the U.S.-Mexico border Monday.

About 1,600 swine flu infections were reported in Mexico, with claims of more than 100 deaths. Cases began popping up in Canada and Spain, eliciting varying responses from nations across the world.

While not endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control, an Internet user has begun populating a map at the Google Maps Web site with dozens of possible swine flu cases across the United States and Europe.

The map was created and updated by user niman, from “Biomedical Research, Pittsburgh, PA,” according to the Google user’s profile. No other information or verification was provided.

The CDC declared a national public health emergency for the swine flu Sunday.

To view the Google map, visit here.