Five more people, including another student at 'Anuenue Elementary School, have been diagnosed with swine flu, bringing the number of Hawai'i cases to 15 so far, the state Health Department announced yesterday.

A third-grade teacher at 'Anuenue and a student from a different class had already contracted swine flu, prompting parents of about 100 'Anuenue students to keep their children at home yesterday.

Hours later, health and education officials announced that a second 'Anuenue student has been diagnosed with swine flu, known formally as H1N1 influenza A.

Yesterday's absences at the Hawaiian language immersion school in Palolo represented about a third of 'Anuenue's student population of 353, principal Charles Naumu said.

"We were kind of expecting that," Naumu said. "But we welcome the kids to come to school."

The five latest confirmed cases are the most reported in one day since the Health Department announced on May 5 that an Army couple and a school-age child contracted Hawai'i's first cases of swine flu.

All but one of the 15 total cases in Hawai'i so far involve O'ahu residents. The only exception involved a resident of Maui County who contracted swine flu after traveling to Washington state.

Of the five most recent cases, one is an adult who had traveled recently to California and has fully recovered, Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo said.

The four school-age children have not traveled recently and are all recovering at home, Okubo said.

One of them is not in the public school system, said Department of Education spokeswoman Sandy Goya.

The three others attend 'Anuenue, 'Aina Haina Elementary and Mililani Middle School, Goya said.

The latest victims appear to have had no contact with one another, Okubo said.

"None of them are connected," she said.

At 'Anuenue, Naumu and Health Department investigators were searching for a connection between the teacher and afflicted students yesterday.

"We cannot figure out the contact," Naumu said.

State Sen. Mike Gabbard, D-19, (Makakilo, Kapolei, Waipahu), yesterday again blasted the response to the swine flu outbreak by state officials and criticized their decision to keep 'Anuenue open.

"The decision by the state not to temporarily close 'Anuenue School is shortsighted and the height of irresponsibility," Gabbard said. "However, it is consistent with their failure to do the most basic precautionary screening at the airports."