In state, potential cases of swine flu reach 25

The number of probable swine-flu cases in Washington state increased from 16 to 25 on Saturday, with the virus now believed to have taken hold in five counties, according to the state Department of Health.

The number of probable cases in King County went from nine to 15, according to a health-department update that was released Saturday evening.

King County health officials provided this description of the six new people believed to have swine flu: a 7-year-old boy from Auburn; a 12-year-old girl from Lake Forest Park; a 15-year-old boy from Kent; and, from Seattle, a 12-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl and an 80-year-old woman.

None of the five children or teenagers has been hospitalized. The woman was hospitalized but has since been released, according to Public Health — Seattle & King County.

The other counties with likely cases are Snohomish, with six; Spokane, with two; and Skagit and Pierce, with one each.

In the Puget Sound area, three schools will reopen Monday after closing last week because of swine-flu concerns, but another school is closing.

The three that will reopen:

• Bear Creek School in Redmond. Two students had reported flulike symptoms, but school officials, after consulting with health-care professionals, say there are no suspected cases of swine flu.

• Lakes High School in Lakewood. Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department officials determined that two students suspected of having swine flu are not infected with the virus.

• Odyssey Elementary in Everett. The school closed Friday after authorities said the parent of one student may have swine flu. The student had been sick recently, too, but has not been diagnosed with swine flu and had not been at school for a week. There have been no additional reports of flu at the school.

The school that is closing Monday through Wednesday is Jackson Elementary in Everett.

The Snohomish Health District notified the school that a student there may have swine flu. Medical tests are under way.

Schools that closed last week and will remain closed this coming week include Madrona K-8, Aki Kurose Middle School and Stevens Elementary, all in Seattle; and Woodmont K-8 and Midway Elementary, both in Des Moines.

Ken Armstrong: 206-464-3730 or karmstrong@seattletimes.com; Janet I. Tu: 206-464-2272 or jtu@seattletimes.com