Fighting the flu while fighting the war in Afghanistan

KABUL -- Hundreds of Afghan and international troops already battling a rising militant insurgency are facing a new fight -- recovering from swine flu.

The Ministry of Public Health said Monday that 710 of the 779 cases of H1N1 reported since early July have been among Afghan, U.S. and Italian troops. The 11 people who have died from the virus were all Afghans, including one soldier.

Public Health Minister Dr. Mohammad Amin Fatemi said the Afghan National Army reported 390 cases of H1N1 and 320 cases were identified among foreign troops. Most are U.S. forces stationed at Bagram Air Base and Italian soldiers.

Worried that the flu could spread unabated through a country in its ninth year of war, the government decided earlier this month to close schools and universities for three weeks. AP