NEW YORK — The sons of a critically ill New York City school official diagnosed with swine flu said their father has been on a breathing tube and is barely able to talk to his family.

Adam Wiener is disputing media reports that his father, Mitchell, had been suffering from pre-existing medical conditions before he contracted the virus. He said the only condition his father had before was gout.

He said his father is now suffering from kidney failure and a lung infection after being hospitalized with swine flu since early Wednesday.

The 23-year-old Adam Wiener has been keeping a vigil at the hospital with his mother and younger twin brothers.

Eighteen-year-old son Jordan said his father was awake briefly and asked him about an earlier baseball injury.

By The Associated Press