Mystery illness kills two in Alabama

An unidentified respiratory illness has hospitalized 7 and killed 2 in southeast Alabama.

The Troy Messenger is reporting that all cases so far have been at one hospital in Dothan, but that the cases - dating as far back as April 19 - come from a 10-county area. The specific counties were not released by the Houston County Health Department at a press conference held on Tuesday morning.

Dr. Mary McIntyre from the Alabama Department of Public Health said that all patients have been tested and the results sent to the state. One patient did test positive for H1N1 - commonly known as bird flu - and another patient tested positive for influenza A. Officially, all the cases have been identified by the ADHP as "a cluster of respiratory illnesses of unknown origin."

Reported symptoms of the illness "include fever, cough and shortness of breath."