Mexican toddler is first swine flu fatality in U.S., officials say, page 1

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A 22-month-old child from Mexico who was taken to Houston, Texas, for medical treatment is the first confirmed U.S. fatality from swine flu, health authorities said Wednesday.
Quarantine officials at the Narita, Japan, airport go Wednesday to meet planes arriving from Mexico.

Quarantine officials at the Narita, Japan, airport go Wednesday to meet planes arriving from Mexico.
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The toddler was not a U.S. citizen, said Kathy Barton, a spokeswoman for the Houston Department of Health and Human Services, adding she could provide no other details.

At a news conference unrelated to the health issue, President Obama said, "My thoughts and prayers and deepest condolences go out to the family as well as [to] those who are ill and recovering from this flu."

Obama said, "This is obviously a serious situation -- serious enough to take the utmost precautions."

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius are closely monitoring the swine flu outbreak, Obama said.

The president urged local health officials to be vigilant about identifying and reporting suspected cases.

Places such as schools should consider closing temporarily if any illness surfaces there, he said, and parents should consider in advance how children at home will be cared for. Sending a child to a day-care facility may not be the best solution, he said.

Obama said he requested $1.5 billion in emergency funding from Congress on Tuesday if the outbreak becomes more widespread.

As of Wednesday morning, the World Health Organization said at least 112 cases had been confirmed worldwide. iReport.com: "Regular life" in Mexico with masks

Earlier Wednesday, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the child's death