Authorities shuttered three schools as a precaution Wednesday in Boston where a growing number of students were infected with the swine flu or A(H1N1) virus, AFP reported.
"This morning we have two confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus at Boston Latin. We're monitoring all the Boston schools," Susan Harrington, a city health spokeswoman, told reporters.
Boston Latin, where 260 of its 2,400 students had some symptoms, was shut for a week. Also closed were Dana Hall, a private school for girls in nearby suburban Wellesley, and the private Winsor School located on Boston's Beacon Hill.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino appeared on television urging residents to mind their hygiene, and not to panic.
In New York, home to the largest outbreak in the United States, 18 schools were closed Wednesday, three more than a day earlier, authorities said.
The number of US cases of swine flu has hit 5,710 with eight deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday.
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