New York - New York state officials Wednesday downplayed the fact that New York has the highest total of confirmed cases of swine flu among ten US states, saying the situation was inexplicable - even as health workers were investigating 75 more probable cases and some schools remained closed.

New York Governor David Paterson and his health commissioner, Richard Daines, who said the state currently has no vaccine designed for swine flu, said they did not consider the swine flu outbreak any more important than unseasonal flu in springtime.

Tel Aviv - The number of suspected swine flu cases in Israel has risen to six, two of which have been confirmed with certainty, Israeli media reported Wednesday.

The number rose after an Israeli woman in her mid-50s returned from a trip to Mexico with symptoms. She has been hospitalized at Israel's Meir hospital in Kfar Saba, north-east of Tel Aviv.

She has been placed in quarantine and her condition was being described as "good."

Washington - A US Marine is suspected of having contracted swine flu and has been quarantined at his base in California, the service said Wednesday.

The soldier and his roommate have been confined to their quarters for further evaluation, Marine Commandant General James Conway told reporters at the Pentagon. The roommate is not showing any symptoms, the general said.

The soldier sought medical attention on Saturday suffering from flu symptoms, Conway said.

"He was tested. The initial tests are that he is suspected to have the flu," Conway said.

New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged the UN Security Council to join the international community in efforts to deal with the swine flu, which has spread to four continents.

Ban said the UN has taken the lead and gathered resources to fight the flu, working with the World Health Organization and governments. At UN headquarters, Ban's deputy secretary-general Asha-Rose Migiro is chairing a core group of UN officials to coordinate activities with WHO in Geneva.

Mexico City  - The number of confirmed swine flu infections in Mexico rose from 26 to 49, although the number of deaths was still at seven from the new strain of flu, according to laboratory results that Mexico's health authorities made public Wednesday.

In total, there have been 159 deaths and 2,498 infections in Mexico's flu epidemic. Of these, 1,311 remained in hospital. But most have not yet been identified as swine flu.

Abohar, April 29: With health awareness being minimal in rural Punjab, ASHA, a scheme launched by the Government of India under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), is benefiting villagers.

ASHA or, Accredited Social Health Activist, is bringing about a transformation, as the scheme spreads awareness about mother-child health.

One such ASHA is Roshni, who has undertaken a special task today. She is visiting a newly married couple in Sitto Village in Punjab’s Ferozepur district to counsel them on childbirth or preparations for childbirth, safe delivery and immunization.