Oneida County has avoided the swine flu outbreak so far.

Samples taken from four suspected cases have all come back from state testing as negative for swine flu virus, with the most recent notification on Sunday. All four of the patients were in some way connected to recent travel to Mexico, which is the center of the outbreak.

The first negative result was announced Friday with two more Saturday.

There are no additional samples from Oneida County awaiting testing at the state Department of Health, county Health Department spokesman Ken Fanelli said this morning.

The most recent number of confirmed cases in New York state is 63. Confirmed cases in the country total 247. The total in Mexico is 590. There are 25 confirmed deaths from swine flu in Mexico and one in the U.S., a toddler from Mexico who died in Texas.

Lewis County has the north country’s first probable case of swine flu, also known as H1N1. County officials on Friday were notified by the state that the sample had tested in the probable category and had been submitted to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory for further investigation.

There are three levels for cases — suspected, probable and confirmed. A probable case is more likely to become a confirmed case than is a suspected case. The state laboratory is not able to confirm swine flu cases officially. That determination is only made by the federal Centers for Disease Control.

In Onondaga County, the two Fabius-Pompey School District buildings remain closed this week after a student tested positive for swine flu last week.

Public health officials recommend that anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms consult a doctor and those who are sick stay home until feeling better. People can help protect themselves and others from sickness by covering their noses and mouths when sneezing or coughing, frequently washing their hands with soap and water and avoiding close contact with sick people.