WRAPUP 1-Flu pandemic closes schools, vaccine scarce

* Flu widespread and worsening across Northern Hemisphere

* Study confirms virus can kill patients of all ages

* U.S. works to strengthen public health measures

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Swine flu has driven up the price of horse meat in Mongolia, closed schools across Afghanistan and Ukraine and sparked a quarrel over whether detainees at a U.S. base in Cuba should be vaccinated.

As infections accelerated across the northern half of the world, Saudi authorities approved a vaccine ahead of the annual haj pilgrimage and U.S. members of Congress proposed legislation to force employers to pay or sick leave.

The pandemic H1N1 virus has infected millions globally, with more than 5,000 documented deaths and likely far more.

A study published on Tuesday added to the growing body of knowledge about the virus, confirming that while it rarely infects people over 65, once it does it is as deadly to them as seasonal flu is. [ID:nN03514822]

In Mongolia, the government closed kindergartens, extended a holiday for secondary schools and canceled sports and cultural events, the English-language UB Post newspaper reported. [ID:nPEK164665]