Tokyo confirms first cases of Swine flu

Japanese officials confirmed the first cases of swine flu in the capital and broadened their anti-epidemic measures. Two Japanese high school girls who recently visited New York for a Model United Nations Conference became Tokyo's first confirmed cases. Prices for Tamiflu, the antiviral drug have soared online. Sellers are charging 7,000 yen to 12,000 yen ($74 to $128) for a box of 10 pills. The health ministry has repeatedly warned people not to buy Tamiflu online, warning the pills could be fake and could contain hazardous ingredients.

"This influenza is becoming widespread within the country, so we're shifting away from measures to stop it at the border and focusing on domestic countermeasures," Health and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said.Most Japanese swine flu cases have so far been detected in the western city of Kobe and nearby Osaka. The majority has been teenagers, and none are seriously ill.

Warnings are being broadcast in train stations and other public areas advising residents to remain calm and seek help if they are suffering from fever or other symptoms. The flu strain also continued to spread elsewhere in Asia.New cases also were reported in China, Australia and Taiwan. He urged citizens to remain calm, and said the government's focus was on seeking a balance between protecting their health and not generating an overreaction.