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A Skagway man has been confirmed to have swine flu, one of six official cases in Alaska and the second in Southeast, Alaska public health officials said Tuesday. The man has recovered.

As with the state's other four cases, state epidemiologists have been unable to determine how the Skagway man contracted the virus, also known as H1N1.

The Skagway man had recently traveled outside Alaska and likely did not contract the case at home. That parallels another upper Lynn Canal case of a Haines pre-teen, who had also traveled out of state and likely didn't contract it at home.

On May 28, the Skagway man started having symptoms, which are completely gone now. The virus may be contagious for one day before symptoms develop and up to seven days after, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

"We don't have evidence that the virus has been circulating in the community yet," said Dr. Beth Funk, state Division of Public Health staff physician. "Because this person has a travel history, quite possibly this person became infected and then came back to Skagway."

Alaska has also had four cases in the Interior, including one confirmed Tuesday. Several other cases of swine flu among cruise ship crew members traveling to Alaska were officially attributed to other states because they'd been confirmed elsewhere. Of Alaska's official cases, none have been linked. The latest Interior case has yet to be investigated, Funk said.

"We have not been able to come up with any direct links with any of our laboratory confirmed cases at this time," she said.

The state's first case, a Fairbanks woman, had not traveled outside the state and was a homemaker. Funk said officials were not sure how she contracted it but are assuming it is circulating mostly undetected in that community.

The disease appears less dangerous than originally thought, but public health officials are still recommending frequent hand washing and covering coughs as preventative measures. They're also urging those who are ill to stay home.