Ham Fighters Contract Swine Flu

At least nine players from Japan's Nippon Ham Fighters Baseball Team have begun complaining of high-fever and three of those players have been confirmed to have the H1N1 virus. The entire team, including coaches, has been put into quarantine at a Sapporo Hospital, but no games have been postponed or canceled as yet.

FULL STORY:

TOKYO (Reuters) - The entire squad of Japan's Nippon Ham Fighters baseball team is being quarantined and tested for H1N1 influenza after three players contracted the virus.

Team officials said Wednesday they had ordered all players and coaching staff to check in to a Sapporo hospital for screening after six more players complained of high fever.

The Fighters have so far ruled out cancelling games as a precaution.

Six sumo wrestlers and officials and a member of Japan's under-19 women's soccer team have also picked up the H1N1 flu over the past week.

Japan confirmed its third fatality from the disease on Wednesday in Nagoya. The country has confirmed over 5,000 cases of the flu.

This post is rated SPF 75 for irony.