North Korea acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that swine flu has hit the nation, a day after South Korea's president offered to help the impoverished neighbor fight the virus reported to have already killed dozens.

Officials say two more Maine residents have died of complications from the swine flu, bringing the total number of H1N1-related deaths to 13.

Swine flu damages the entire airway, from the trachea to deep in the lungs, just as the viruses that caused the deadly 1918 and 1957 influenza pandemics did, but unlike seasonal flu, a report said Tuesday.

Title: H1N1 Swine Flu Less Severe Than Feared Category: Health News Created: 12/8/2009 10:14:00 AM Last Editorial Review: 12/8/2009 10:14:23 AM

Title: Swine Flu Can Batter Kids With Sickle Cell Category: Health News Created: 12/7/2009 12:10:00 PM Last Editorial Review: 12/8/2009

Demand was steady Monday as Dallas County distributed free doses of the swine flu vaccine to any county residents who wanted them - the first time since the new H1N1 flu appeared here last spring.

A handful of pets have been sickened with swine flu in recent weeks, but here are doctors' orders: Wash your hands and don't panic.

TUESDAY, Dec. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A new joint American-British study suggests that the impact of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic during the autumn-winter flu season will be less severe than had been feared.

Hospital masks and anti-bacterial hand gel vanished from shelves in the Gaza Strip as fear gripped the besieged Hamas-ruled territory after the first deaths of swine flu.

Israel says it's treating five suspected swine flu cases from Gaza in hopes of containing an outbreak of the virus in the blockaded Palestinian territory.