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RALEIGH (AP) — There are a handful of suspected swine flu cases in North Carolina, and investigators were gathering specimens in Raleigh to determine whether the outbreak had spread to the South, state health officials said Monday.

Dr. Jeffrey Engel, the state health director, said officials are involuntarily isolating patients who may have the virus. But he said the handful of suspected cases are sporadically located in various parts of the state.

"We're working very closely with providers, and they are investigating cases on a daily basis," Engel said. "It's a very fluid situation and there will be suspect cases. People travel all the time."

Investigators were gathering specimens and hope to know whether the cases are "probable" some time Tuesday and Engel said they will seek confirmations by Wednesday.

Federal health officials have confirmed 40 cases in the United States — in New York, Ohio, Kansas, Texas and California. Of those, only one person has been hospitalized and all have recovered. That's in contrast to Mexico, where the suspected death toll was at 149, with more than 1,600 cases reported.

Engel said the suspected cases are related to travel, mostly to Mexico. He said nobody has been hospitalized and that the people who may be sickened by swine flu have been ordered to in-home isolation.

He declined to say specifically how many suspected cases were in the state, noting that the number is always changing, and he declined to say where they were located.

Along with the travel history, Engel said the suspected cases involve patients with severe flu symptoms. The state is encouraging medical providers to only report more severe cases — people with higher fevers or more prominent respiratory problems.

Engel said he expects the number of suspected cases to increase.

"This is dynamic," he said.

Gov. Beverly Perdue said she was monitoring the health situation closely, but she echoed the comments of Engel, who said the state was well-prepared to respond to an outbreak.

"North Carolina is equipped with a full supply of antiviral medications and personal protective supplies such as face masks," Perdue said in a statement. "We have public health teams ready to deploy to any community in our state that needs assistance."

State officials encouraged people who are sick to stay home from school or work, and they encouraged residents to practice good hygiene, including frequent hand-washing.

Engel also encouraged people to postpone travel to Mexico.