I know that yesterday while driving home I heard that we were waiting for test results of two in the Galveston / Houston area . We happen to have a talk show host who is also a state senator, and although many were laughing at the whole flu thing ... suddenly yesterday people were paying attention .

Tee

I love that name, MJF.

As for the article, it was bound to happen.

We may be getting our answer to why are the deaths in Mexico not being seen here. It's a matter of numbers. Once we see enough cases, we'll see an equivalent number of deaths in young adults. In Mexico, we don't yet know the denominator for that death rate.

I'd agree with that Skeptigal.

PS: A friend of a friend is in hospital right now in NYC with swine flu.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.ph...&show_article=1

At least 7 hospitalized in US with swine flu

Apr 28 05:06 PM US/Eastern
By SARA KUGLER
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - At least seven people were in U.S. hospitals with swine flu as the number of cases nationwide rose to 64 on Tuesday and a federal health official warned that deaths were likely.
Most of the nation's confirmed cases were in New York City, where the health commissioner said "many hundreds" of schoolchildren were ill with what was "most likely swine flu." The city announced 44 confirmed cases, all affiliated with a Catholic high school.


Richard Besser, acting director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noted that although ordinary human flu accounts for 36,000 deaths every year, he was concerned by this strain.

"I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection," Besser said at an Atlanta news conference.

He said he did not know about a newspaper report of two deaths in two southern California hospitals in which the victims appeared to have suffered from swine flu symptoms. (Note: these were proven not to be swine flu. M.)

New York has the largest number of swine flu cases, at a Catholic school in Queens, where students recently went on a spring break trip to Mexico. New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said that hundreds of St. Francis Preparatory students had developed symptoms consistent with swine flu, although many hadn't been tested to confirm it.

There were indications that the outbreak may have spread beyond the school, with two people having to be hospitalized and officials closing a school for autistic children down the road. Those cases have not been confirmed.

"It is here and it is spreading," Frieden said. "We do not know whether it will continue to spread."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that 82 of 380 students at P.S. 177, a school for autistic children, have called in sick. A third school in Manhattan is being evaluated because students there are sick, Frieden said.

The CDC said the country has 64 confirmed cases across five states, with 45 in New York, one in Ohio, two in Kansas, six in Texas and 10 in California. At least four other cases have been reported by states.

At least five other people have been hospitalized in the U.S., including three in California and two in Texas, Besser said.

The increase is not surprising. For days, CDC officials have said they expected to see more confirmed cases—and more severe illnesses. Health officials across the country have stepped up efforts to look for cases, especially among people with flu-like illness who had traveled to Mexico.

CDC officials also had warned that updates in the number of confirmed cases would at time be disjointed, as different states announce new information before the CDC's national count is updated.

A handful of schools around the country have closed over swine flu fears and some people are wearing masks, but it's mostly business as usual in the U.S., even at border crossings into Mexico.

In addition to thousands of deaths, often the elderly and the very young, about 200,000 people are hospitalized in the U.S. each year because of flu complications.

__________________ 
.
.

Roscoe and Miss Priss 

WSBT has reported a student which took ill a week ago, has recovered from the swine flu.

2 people being tested in Chautauqua County NY as of the 11:00 PM news. Hope it turns out not to be the mixed-up new flu.

15 possible swine flu cases in NC, three in Charlotte

Posted: April 28, 2009 04:23 PM EDT

Updated: April 28, 2009 04:25 PM EDT

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Health officials say there are possibly 15 suspect cases of swine flu in North Carolina and three of the cases may be in Mecklenburg County.

The Mecklenburg County Health Department released information about the suspected cases during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

One of the cases involves a person who traveled to Mexico and had a layover at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on a return flight to Richmond, Virginia.

In the second case, a person from Texas was around a sick family member and came to Charlotte to visit friends or family. While in Charlotte, the visitor became sick and was taken to a local hospital emergency room.

The third suspect case involves a person from Charlotte-Mecklenburg who recently traveled to Mexico and later got sick.

Health officials have issued isolation orders for all three of these individuals.

The first two are now in isolation at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. The third person is in isolation at home.

Test results on each of the three people are pending. The health department is expecting to receive results on one of the individuals as early as Tuesday afternoon.

Information about the flights in which these people were on will be publicized by the health department if any of the three test positive. In that case, all the passengers who were on the plane will be contacted by their local departments.

People with close contact to the person from Texas and the individual from Charlotte-Mecklenburg who traveled to Mexico will be quarantined.

Health officials say isolation orders are reserved for sick individuals. A quarantine is issued for healthy people who have been exposed. They must remain quarantined for a maximum of 7 days or until a test is found negative.

Carolinas Medical Center has dozens of rooms ready if more people need to be isolated.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10265744

__________________ 
Still, there are some out there that are doing nothing to prepare for a possible pandemic of the bird flu. When Denver resident Jeff ... was asked if he was taking precautions, he replied, "Nothing at all, nah. I don't want to freak myself out." 

Didn't see this posted any where. Looks like cases in the Bay area.



http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...AHD7.DTL&tsp=1

Yarrow

__________________ 
(\__/)
(='.'=) This is Bunny. Copy and paste bunny into your
(")_(") signature to help her gain world domination 

Update - the 6 teachers at the school the H1N1-positive child attended were NEGATIVE and school is reopening.

And a student at San Diego State Univ is a suspected case after testing positive for influenza A at the student health clinic.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/swineflu/

US confirms first death from swine flu amid increasing global anxiety over a health menace

* Lauran Neergaard, AP Medical Writer
* On Wednesday April 29, 2009, 7:22 am EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The first U.S. death from swine flu has been confirmed -- a 23-month-old child in Texas -- amid increasing global anxiety over a health menace that authorities around the world are struggling to contain.

The flu death was confirmed Wednesday by Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In an interview with CNN, he gave no other details about the child.

Germany, which confirmed three cases Wednesday, is the latest country affected.

The world has no vaccine to prevent infection but U.S. health officials aim to have a key ingredient for one ready in early May, the big step that vaccine manufacturers are awaiting. But even if the World Health Organization ordered up emergency vaccine supplies -- and that decision hasn't been made yet -- it would take at least two more months to produce the initial shots needed for human safety testing.

"We're working together at 100 miles an hour to get material that will be useful," Dr. Jesse Goodman, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration's swine flu work, told The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, health authorities are preparing for the worst. "I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. is shipping to states not only enough anti-flu medication for 11 million people, but also masks, hospital supplies and flu test kits. President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion in emergency funds to help build more drug stockpiles and monitor future cases, as well as help international efforts to avoid a full-fledged pandemic.

"It's a very serious possibility, but it is still too early to say that this is inevitable," the WHO's flu chief, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, told a telephone news conference.

Cuba and Argentina banned flights to Mexico, where swine flu is suspected of killing more than 150 people and sickening well over 2,000. In a bit of good news, Mexico's health secretary, Jose Cordova, late Tuesday called the death toll there "more or less stable."

Mexico City, one of the world's largest cities, has taken drastic steps to curb the virus' spread, starting with shutting down schools and on Tuesday expanding closures to gyms and swimming pools and even telling restaurants to limit service to takeout. People who venture out tend to wear masks in hopes of protection.

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States rose to 66 in six states, with 45 in New York, 11 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one each in Indiana and Ohio, but cities and states suspected more. In New York, the city's health commissioner said "many hundreds" of schoolchildren were ill at a school where some students had confirmed cases.

New Zealand, Australia, Israel, Britain, Canada and now Germany have also reported cases.

But only in Mexico so far are there confirmed deaths, and scientists remain baffled as to why.

The WHO argues against closing borders to stem the spread, and the U.S. -- although checking arriving travelers for the ill who may need care -- agrees it's too late for that tactic.

"Sealing a border as an approach to containment is something that has been discussed and it was our planning assumption should an outbreak of a new strain of influenza occur overseas. We had plans for trying to swoop in and knockout or quench an outbreak if it were occurring far from our borders. That's not the case here," Besser told a telephone briefing of Nevada-based health providers and reporters. "The idea of trying to limit the spread to Mexico is not realistic or at all possible."

"Border controls do not work. Travel restrictions do not work," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said in Geneva, recalling the SARS epidemic earlier in the decade that killed 774 people, mostly in Asia, and slowed the global economy.

Authorities sought to keep the crisis in context: Flu deaths are common around the world. In the U.S. alone, the CDC says about 36,000 people a year die of flu-related causes. Still, the CDC calls the new strain a combination of pig, bird and human viruses for which people may have limited natural immunity.

Hence the need for a vaccine. Using samples of the flu taken from people who fell ill in Mexico and the U.S., scientists are engineering a strain that could trigger the immune system without causing illness. The hope is to get that ingredient -- called a "reference strain" in vaccine jargon -- to manufacturers around the second week of May, so they can begin their own laborious production work, said CDC's Dr. Ruben Donis, who is leading that effort.

Vaccine manufacturers are just beginning production for next winter's regular influenza vaccine, which protects against three human flu strains. The WHO wants them to stay with that course for now -- it won't call for mass production of a swine flu vaccine unless the outbreak worsens globally. But sometimes new flu strains pop up briefly at the end of one flu season and go away only to re-emerge the next fall, and at the very least there should be a vaccine in time for next winter's flu season, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health's infectious diseases chief, said Tuesday.

"Right now it's moving very rapidly," he said of the vaccine development.

Can't we guess the denominator? Patient 0 caught the virus on April 4 close to Mexico City. There is a group of teenagers in Queens that turned out to be infected after they visited Cancun. So the virus was already there when they were there. Seems rather contagious. So 10% of the population of Mexico City must be infected by now. That is 2 million people.

If the denominator is 2 million or larger there is nothing to worry about. You will find the virus everywhere you look. In that case, the number of confirmed cases says more about the CDC resources that are thrown at it than anything else. The harder they work, the more cases will be confirmed.

Just a cheerful positive note from across the pond.

A 22-month-old Mexican child flown to Texas for treatment has become the first fatality from swine flu in the United States, officials said Wednesday.

from twitter- mpoppel- "homeland securtiy chief says swine flu now in 4 more states, with 91 cases now confirmed."

Dont' know how reliable this information is from this news paper. This is the headline.

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/o...2.shtml?ref=rss

First US Fatalities: Two Swine Flu Deaths in California
by Jack Ryan


Now reports are claiming that two Americans in California have died due to complications of the swine flu after an L.A. coronr suggested that two deaths may be linked to the virus.

__________________ 
"We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results." Herman Melville

For as long as space endures, for as long as living beings remain, until then may I too abide to dispel the misery of the world. by Shanti Deva 

One case has been confirmed in Arizona. I haven't heard where yet. I'm in Phoenix and I'm very interested in where this case is from.

Here's a link to the news report:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/artic...onaflucase.html

A probable case of swine flu has prompted the closing of a North Side elementary school for at least two days.

The case involves a student at Kilmer Elementary School, 6700 N. Greenview Ave. in the Rogers Park neighborhood, Chicago Public Schools chief Ron Huberman said at a morning press conference at the school.

Chicago Public Health Commissioner Terry Mason said the student "is recovered at home." Ald. Joe Moore (49th) said the student is 12.

Huberman said tests on the student have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and he expects results back in 24 to 36 hours.

The decision to close the school was made Tuesday after the state reported the probable case to CPS and the system noticed an unusually high absentee rate at the school (see map), Huberman said.

Attendance at the school is normally 94 to 96 percent, but it was 87 percent on Tuesday, Huberman said. That was "clearly enough of a differential" to warrant the closing. He said the school would be closed "indefinitely," but at least for two days.

The Kilmer student population of 850 is 60 percent Hispanic. It has a teaching staff of 46. The school is also in a heavily Hispanic populated area of the Rogers Park neighborhood. The swine flu has taken its heaviest toll in Mexico.

A few parents tried to bring their children to Kilmer this morning but were turned away by staff handing out a flyer, in English and Spanish, from Huberman, saying there had been a "confirmed" case of swine flu at the school. CPS spokewoman Monique Bond, however, said the case remained probable and had not yet been confirmed.

Parents who live in the neighborhood and have children at Kilmer said they were concerned their children may have been exposed by children who were sick and should have been kept out of school.

Arlette Crawford, who lives near Kilmer, said her daughter, 5, is in preschool and was sitting next to a girl who was sick.

The girl's mother dismissed Crawford's concerns about her illness, she said. Two brothers, ages six and 7, and another girl, 8, had to go to the hospital with flu symptoms last night, she said.

Mason said there are no other suspected cases of swine flu at Kilmer. He said there are no plans to disinfect the school, stressing the problem is not with the building but with students infecting each other.

"It's children coughing, sneezing on each other," he said.

Huberman said school officials will be checking attendance rates at all its other schools today, and should know by this afternoon whether there are any other troubling drops in attendance.

"It's fluid. We are monitoring schools," he said.

The first U.S. death from swine flu was confirmed today -- a 23-month-old child in Texas.

Mason said Tuesday people should be on guard and take preventive measures such as constant hand washing with soap and water and boosting immune systems with water, vegetables and sleep. He said that officials are taking efforts to make sure that if the illness hits the area, it is contained.

-- Liam Ford, Jeremy Gorner, Carlos Sadovi and The Associated Press

CDC has updated their site... 91 US cases in 10 states (see sticky list at top of FC)

__________________ 

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful." - Marilyn Monroe

Don't anthropomorphize viruses. They hate that.

 

Texas Gov issues disaster proclamation due swine flu
Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:14pm BST

[-] Text [+] HOUSTON, April 29 (Reuters) - Texas Governor Rick Perry on Wednesday issued a disaster proclamation after the state saw the first U.S. death from swine flu.
There are now 16 confirmed cases of swine flu in Texas, a state health official said at a news conference in Austin. (Reporting by Chris Baltimore, editing by Jackie Frank)


http://uk.reuters.com/article/marke...090429?rpc=401&

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/new..._samples_042809

4 Flu Samples from Ariz.
Sent to CDC
Last Edited: Tuesday, 28 Apr 2009, 10:33 PM MDT
Created On: Tuesday, 28 Apr 2009, 1:46 PM MDT

PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona health officials have sent four suspicious flu samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing. The four people are from Maricopa County, have received treatment, and are expected to survive.

Cases await confirmation

Department of Health Services spokeswoman Laura Oxley says they expect to learn Wednesday morning if at least one is positive for the swine flu.

The State Health Department recently received 160 samples of suspected swine flu, but only four were identified as possible swine flu, and sent on to the CDC -- the rest were from other known strains of influenza.

Oxley said the department typically sends unidentified samples to the CDC throughout the flu season. Officials are urging doctors and health care providers to conduct a nasal swab test in suspected flu cases.

Schools prep

In the meantime, schools across Arizona are preparing to deal with the swine flu. If it shows up in children at a school, the state superintendent says that administrators need to act fast.

"They need to close the school for a week, hold a period of incubation to be sure other kids haven't caught it who haven't shown symptoms, and that they're not spreading it to still more kids," says Will Humble of the State Health Dept.

Humble says teachers should be on the lookout for sick students, but adds that worried parents shouldn't pull their kids out of class if they're healthy.

State officials have about 36,000 doses of the antiviral drug Tamiflu on hand, not including doses that are commercially available.

__________________ 
"The biggest shortage of all is the shortage of common sense." ~Unknown 

FWIW, CDC already lists one confirmed case from Arizona.

__________________ 

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful." - Marilyn Monroe

Don't anthropomorphize viruses. They hate that.

 

And here I was reluctant to say tens of thousands.

I don't know that have enough data for any accurate estimate of the denominator other than to say by statistical probability, it is likely very large.

And do we know if the Cancun visit included any travel out of Cancun or a plane change in the Mexico City airport? Not to mention they could have simply had an exposure on the plane home. What was the time frame from arrival home until symptoms and did they all report symptoms ~the same time?

The coroner retracted that claiming tests came back negative on "one" of them.

From Veratect Twitter

US, Illinois: Nine probable swine influenza cases; Chicago (5), Kane County (2), DuPage County (1), and Lake County (1)

__________________ 

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful." - Marilyn Monroe

Don't anthropomorphize viruses. They hate that.

 

Maryland -- The local NPR radio station reported tonight that Maryland has six suspect cases (Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties). The six samples have been sent to the CDC for confirmation.

http://wjz.com/local/swine.flu.2.997491.html This is from the local CBS affiliate.

From Veratect Twitter

US, New York: Health Officials Confirm Case of Swine Influenza in Brooklyn

**********************

US, New York: Health Officials Confirm Case of Swine Influenza in Toddler in the Bronx

__________________ 

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful." - Marilyn Monroe

Don't anthropomorphize viruses. They hate that.

 

Bay Area health officials discuss possibility of school closings due to swine flu;
California superintendent says schools are safe
By Mercury News
Posted: 04/29/2009 03:21:58 PM PDT
http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_12256197


Although several California schools have closed due to probable cases of swine flu among students, the state schools superintendent said there are no plans to close campuses statewide due to the outbreak.

"We are not going to close every school in the state," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, pointing out that there have been only a few confirmed swine flu cases in a state that has 9,000 schools. "Our schools today are safe."

O'Connell's comments came on the same day that Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, Santa Clara County's top public health officer, said Bay Area public health officials may not be able to limit the spread of swine flu by closing just one school, and have been discussing under what circumstances they may need to close all campuses in the Bay Area.

"At this point, all of us in the Bay Area have been looking at this and talking about the question. We have not made any decision,'' Fenstersheib said. "We have decided that at this point, it is not appropriate to close the entire school system, and we would certainly want to do something regionally.

"As the regional group of health officials, we have decided at this point, at least, not to. We are taking it on an individual basis. Everything we are doing is to limit the spread of disease. If we have to close another school we will, but we have not made a decision as far as total closure at this point."

Officials in the Campbell Union High School District have closed Branham High School in San Jose after one student was reported to have a probable case of swine flu. The school will be closed until May 6.

And in Contra Costa County, Superintendent of Schools Joseph A. Ovick said that while his district was looking at closing a second school in Pittsburg, Marina Vista Elementary, due to the flu outbreak, there were no plans to close all district schools.

The district is taking the issue on a case-by-case basis, he said. "Bottom line for me is if a child is healthy, they should be going to school," Ovick said.

Contra Costa closed Highlands Elementary on Tuesday night after three probable cases of swine flu were identified.

"We're not quarantining all these children in the house,'' Fenstersheib said. "What we're trying to do is limit their being in a school, where spread is so much easier than anywhere. The density within a school is higher than any type of gathering, the workplace, or even in your household. So, just by closing the school and getting them out of that very close situation, will do a lot to limit the spread.

At O'Connell's news conference, Assembly Member Tom Torlakson said he has introduced a bill to provide funding to schools that are shut down due to the closure.

__________________ 

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful." - Marilyn Monroe

Don't anthropomorphize viruses. They hate that.

 

3 More New York City Schools Close Due to Suspected Swine Flu
By Robin Shulman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 29, 2009; 6:30 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...ml?hpid=topnews


NEW YORK, April 29 -- Three more Catholic schools here closed Wednesday because of suspected swine flu cases among at least 11 students, as officials said all those with confirmed cases are recovering, including a 19-month-old in the Bronx and a woman in Brooklyn who had been admitted to hospitals.

City health officials said that although the number of confirmed cases here has risen to 49, all are mild.

"We have no evidence that this infection is worse than garden variety flu," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, the city's health commissioner.

All cases of the flu that have been confirmed in New York City are connected to either to Mexico or to the initial outbreak here at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, said Frieden. But hundreds of cases have not been officially confirmed because they have not been tested, he said.

At St. Brigid, a Catholic school in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, a sixth grader with a sibling at St. Francis Prep became sick, and the school closed, according to Rev. Kieran Harrington, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. Good Shepherd in Marine Park also closed after an eighth grader whose parent works in a hospital became ill, and eight classmates also fell sick, Taveras said. Bishop Kearney High School, a girls' school in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, also closed Wednesday after a student came down with the flu and had possibly traveled to Mexico, said Harrington.

The three schools elected to close for the rest of this week, although city officials said they had not recommended the closure.

Meanwhile, New York Gov. David A. Paterson said scattered cases have likely arisen throughout the state, with "probable positive identifications" in Orange, Cortlandt, and Suffolk counties.

"We are preparing ourselves for the worst-case scenario, but at the same time we have not identified anyone who was healthy who has become critically ill as a result of this virus," said Paterson.

Health officials had tested 21 suspected samples by Wednesday, said Dr. Richard F. Daines, the state health commissioner, and confirmed three possible cases of swine flu and six cases of seasonal flu.

Government officials said the first shipments from the federal stockpile of Tamiflu, an antiviral medication for swine flu, have arrived at medical centers throughout the city and state.

Frieden said that the city health department is surveying intensive care wards in hospitals throughout the five boroughs each day to determine if patients there may have swine flu, and tests are conducted on any suspected cases.

"What's reassuring is that we're not seeing large numbers," he said.

Frieden said that for several days the health department has been investigating "rumors." People are coming to emergency room departments worried but not sick, he said.

"If you have symptoms of fever, chills, cough, or headache, take care of yourself," and don't go to the hospital, he said. Those who have trouble breathing or more severe symptoms should go to the hospital or call ahead to a family doctor who might want to clear the office in advance or triage the person over the phone, he said.

Those who have become sick after contact with confirmed cases of the flu, Frieden said, "stay home 7 days after" the first symptoms "or 24 hours after symptoms stop, whichever is longer."

__________________ 

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful." - Marilyn Monroe

Don't anthropomorphize viruses. They hate that.

 

Haven't posted in a few years so hello to anyone who might remember me. Following is news from our local San Diego new station.

Confirmed Cases Of Swine Flu In San Diego County Jump To 8

Apr 29, 2009 2:58 PM
Apr 29, 2009 5:54 PM
A local health emergency was declared today after three more people in San Diego County tested positive for swine flu, bringing the total number of local cases to eight.

There are also seven "probable" cases of the disease locally, said Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County's public health officer.

Wooten said residents shouldn't panic about the emergence of new cases of swine flu in San Diego.

"We don't want people to freak out," she said. "We don't want people to panic. But, we want people to take action and protect themselves and practice practicable preventive measures."

Among the probable cases is a 3-year-old girl who was hospitalized overnight, but later released.

The girl, who is a relative of two people who were previously confirmed to have swine flu, had recently traveled to Tijuana, according to Dr. John Bradley, director of infectious diseases at Rady Children's Hospital.

Bradley said the girl's symptoms were "mild."

"If there wasn't the anxiety about swine flu she probably wouldn't have been admitted to the hospital in the first place," he said.

The doctor said there are very few kids in the hospital with influenza symptoms and none in the intensive care unit.

"If this particular strain was causing as bad a disease as some people fear, based on the information from Mexico, then we should really be seeing lots of really sick kids in the ICU and we haven't," he said.

Among the most recent people to have a confirmed case of swine flu are a 23-year-old military man and the 38-year-old father of two previous cases of the disease, Wooten said.

Wooten would not disclose where the infected military man served.

All of the cases were described by Wooten as "mild," with symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, malaise and in rare cases diarrhea and vomiting.

She again urged residents exhibiting symptoms of the flu to stay home from work and school and only see a doctor if they are suffering from severe complications or underlying conditions.

Wooten said washing your hands and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing goes a long way in preventing the spread of the flu.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob said the county declared a local health emergency only as a precaution to "cut through the red tape" and ease the procurement of supplies and services to the region.

"There is no reason to panic," she said.

Meanwhile, classes continued as usual today at San Diego State University, despite a suspected but unconfirmed case of swine flu on the campus.

"A confirmed case may change the ballgame," said Dr. Gregg Lichtenstein, medical director for SDSU's Student Health Services.

A female SDSU student who lives off campus tested positive for Type A influenza Tuesday after falling ill and being checked at Student Health Services, university officials said. Additional tests are pending to determine if the student has contracted swine flu, according to Lichtenstein.

SDSU President Stephen Weber said e-mails were sent to all students and staff notifying them about the possible swine flu case on campus and how to protect themselves.

"The health and safety of our students is our primary concern," Weber said.

The sick student's condition was not considered life-threatening and she will not return to classes until she is no longer considered infectious, university officials said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a Marine at a San Bernardino County base where Camp Pendleton-based Marines routinely train has swine flu.

The infected Marine at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms will remain isolated in his barracks, military officials said. Thirty other Marines he had been in contact with are also quarantined for five days as a precaution. None of the other Marines displayed any symptoms of swine flu, according to the Marine Corps.

Twentynine Palms is in San Bernardino County about 150 miles northeast of San Diego County, but troops from Camp Pendleton in Oceanside frequently go there for training.

In Mira Mesa, Christ the Cornerstone Academy reopened today after testing determined that teachers at the private school were not infected with swine flu. A 7-year-old who attends the school is one of the five people confirmed to have swine flu in San Diego County.

As of late today, there were 114 confirmed cases of swine flu in 11 states, according to Wooten. The nation's first swine-flu death -- a 23-month-old girl from Mexico -- was reported in Texas this morning.

The recent outbreak of swine flu around the globe is most prevalent in Mexico, where about 2,500 people have developed influenza and 159 people are believed to have died from the virus.

As a result of the outbreak, several cruise ships have announced plans this week to berth in San Diego instead of Mexico, according to the Port of San Diego.

On Monday, the Mexican government closed all schools until May 6 to prevent further spread of the flu. Although no San Diego Unified School District campuses have been affected so far, Superintendent Terry Grier said steps are being taken, including the distribution of information about the disease to parents in both English and Spanish.

"I think the most important thing we can do is be proactive and focus on prevention," Grier said.

The World Health Organization today raised its alert level to "phase 5" indicating a pandemic is imminent.

And a link...http://www.cbs8.com/global/story.asp?s=10274581

Welcome back, galaxy, and thanks for sharing your local news!

Does anyone know -- is this the first quarantine we've heard of so far in the US?


MomCares

__________________ 

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful." - Marilyn Monroe

Don't anthropomorphize viruses. They hate that.

 

From Veratect Twitter

US, Nevada, Reno: CDC Confirms State’s First Swine Influenza Case

*****************************************

US, Texas: Fort Bend County: CDC Confirms Swine Influenza Case

__________________ 

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful." - Marilyn Monroe

Don't anthropomorphize viruses. They hate that.

 

FORT BEND COUNTY !?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Health Officials Testing for Swine Flu in the Poconos
Tuesday, Apr 28, 2009 @06:10pm EST
http://pahomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=81072

EAST STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY- Eyewitness News has learned that two flu samples from Pocono Medical Center are headed to Harrisburg for testing.

They're checking whether two sick patients have just a regular flu or are infected with swine flu. Their samples were sent to the state Department of Health. It will take about three days to determine if these are cases of swine flu.

The patients were not in Mexico but one of the patients was in Queens, NY where there are cases of swine flu.

Meanwhile officials in Monroe County and at Pocono Medical Center are taking precautions.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- At least 74 schools have closed across the country because of confirmed or probable cases of swine flu and 30 more have closed as a precautionary measure, the Department of Education said Wednesday.
John Garcia disinfects a classroom at St. Mel Catholic School in Fair Oaks, California.

John Garcia disinfects a classroom at St. Mel Catholic School in Fair Oaks, California.

The elementary, junior high and high schools have closed because of the H1N1 virus, Department of Education spokesman Massie Ritsch said.

The closures of public and private schools across eight states affect about 56,000 students out of an estimated 55 million students attending the nation's 100,000 kindergarten through 12th grade schools, Ritsch said.

Some of the schools that were closed had already reopened, he said.

In addition to closures announced earlier Wednesday, the Fort Worth Independent School District in Texas said it will temporarily close all of its schools until further notice, affecting roughly 80,000 students, according to its Web site.

Schools will likely not reopen any sooner than Monday, May 11, the district said.

School officials said they made the decision after receiving official confirmation of one case of swine flu at one campus and news of three other probable cases at three more schools.

"We have been diligently following the recommendations of our local public health authorities since this crisis first began," Superintendent Melody Johnson said. "We will continue to work with the senior-most staff of the local health department."
Don't Miss

* World swine flu cases jump
* Making music out of swine flu
* Get answers to your swine flu FAQs

On Wednesday, President Obama called on schools with confirmed or possible swine flu cases to "strongly consider temporarily closing so that we can be as safe as possible."

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday that everyone involved in schools needs to "pitch in and do our part to prevent the spread of this flu virus."

"Use the same common sense and courtesy that you would use during winter flu season: Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough and stay home if you are sick," Duncan said.

The secretary said the department is closely monitoring the flu outbreak and urged schools to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Do what is appropriate for the health of your communities, your schools and your students," Duncan said.

Department of Education officials and experts from the CDC held a conference call Monday with more than 1,700 people from national education associations, state school offices, individual schools and school districts.

The Department of Education emphasized the need for "common sense" preventative measures among students and faculty in school facilities, an official said.
advertisement

Education officials also stressed the need for people showing any flu-like symptoms to stay away from school and called on administrators to report any suspected or confirmed cases to local public health authorities as well as the Department of Education.

If a school has a confirmed case of swine flu, the CDC recommends closing the facility for about seven days.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/29/sw...ools/index.html

Probable swine flu in Spokane County; six total in Washington

09:36 PM PDT on Wednesday, April 29, 2009

http://www.krem.com/topstories/stor...lu.42609a2.html


By KREM.com

SPOKANE -- Health officials say there is one probable case of swine flu in Spokane County. The person, who is in his 40’s, tested positive for influenza A. Further testing is being done at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Washington, D.C.

Three other probable cases have been reported in King County as well as two more in Snohomish County.

The people infected in King County have been identified as an 11-year-old girl from Seattle, a 27-year-old man who has not traveled abroad, and a 33-year-old woman. Two possible cases in Snohomish County are also being tested: one 6-year-old male and a 34-year-old female.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Spokane County is just north of me...I live about an hour south of Spokane and the freight company my husband works for has drivers up there every day. Crap!

http://www.kxly.com/global/story.asp?s=10276666

Probable case of swine flu found in Spokane
Posted: Apr 29, 2009 9:34 PM PDT Updated: Apr 29, 2009 9:34 PM PDT
SPOKANE -- State health officials say there are five probable cases of swine flu in Washington State including one in Spokane County.

The announcement was made in Wednesday evening press conferences from both Seattle and Spokane. Although none of the cases have been confirmed as swine flue, the samples are being sent to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Officials in Spokane say their probable case is a Spokane man who traveled to California where he was likely exposed to swine flu.

Health officials in Spokane said that 95-percent of the cases that states send to the CDC come back as confirmed swine flu.

A fever more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, coughing, joint aches and severe headaches are common symptoms of swine flu. Vomiting and diarrhea can also be present as well.

Health officials are urging anyone with flu like symptoms to not go to work or school.

Spokane Regional Health District officials said they are not recommending closing schools or canceling large events such as Bloomsday. They did leave the door open however, saying if conditions worsen they could change their recommendations.

Officials in King County are looking at three probable cases there. They say a male child was hospitalized with signs of swine flu but is now improving. Two other people who may have swine flu have not been hospitalized, a 20-year-old man and woman in her 30's, both who are improving according to health officials.

"Now that swine flu is likely in King County, we expect to see more infections, but it's too early to say how severe the illnesses will be," said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health for Seattle & King County. "We are working to provide needed information and assistance to these people and their families. We are also working with health care providers and community partners to prepare in the event that the situation becomes more serious."

Two other probable cases exist north of Seattle in Snohomish County.

It appears that at least one of the six probable Washington state cases was hospitalized. See Dylnn's post above. Here is the description of symptoms from one of the New York students who was hospitalized. At least this presentation does not sound "mild."

"Rachel Mele, a 16-year-old from the school, saw her fever break sufficiently to allow her to speak to the Associated Press on Tuesday, five days after she was rushed to hospital with a temperature of 101F.

"I could barely even catch my breath. I've never felt a pain like that before," she said. "My throat, it was burning, like, it was the worst burning sensation I ever got before. I couldn't even swallow. I couldn't even let up air. I could barely breathe through my mouth."

Here is the link to the article: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...4931.html?r=RSS

The 33 year old female (probable case) is a doctor.
~LRH
----------------------
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ht...flucases29.html

<snip>
In King County, the patients are an 11-year-old boy who attends Madrona K-8 in Seattle; a 33-year-old woman who is a primary care physician, and a 27-year old man, all of Seattle.
<snip>
.
.

__________________ 
"The biggest shortage of all is the shortage of common sense." ~Unknown 

Members of doctor's family as well.
LRH~
----------------------

http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stor...KS.2c1b44e.html

<snip>

The third suspected Seattlite is a 33-year-old doctor. Her husband and two children have also experienced symptoms, but all are improving.

<snip>

__________________ 
"The biggest shortage of all is the shortage of common sense." ~Unknown