The Swine Flu (H1N1) report: The local, county and world level
Local level
Lee County has sent 51 samples of potential swine flu to the Centers for Disease Control for testing. Fifteen samples are not swine flu, one is a probable positive and two cases are confirmed, officials at the Lee County Health Department said Tuesday.
Thirty-three samples are still pending results from the state laboratory in Tampa. The samples sent come for across Lee County.
The confirmed cases are two students from Spring Creek Elementary School, where two boys, 7 and 11, tested positive for H1N1, or swine flu.
Swine flu is typically characterized by a fever of greater than 100 degrees F or 37.8 degrees C, cough, sore throat, headache and body aches, chills, fatigue and some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu.
Showing the signs and symptoms of flu does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to swine flu, but people with symptoms should contact their health care providers or hospital for instructions about receiving treatment, officials said.
However, they urge those who show symptoms to visit the doctor.
“It is very important for individuals who think they might have been exposed to swine flu to contact their health care provider as quickly as possible,” Dr. Judith Hartner, Lee County Health Department, said. “Rapid treatment is the key to recovery.”
The Lee County Health Department continues to urge all residents to continue with good flu hygiene to reduce the opportunity for infection.
For more information about swine influenza, visit www.doh.state.fl.us or www.cdc.gov (CDC). The Lee County Health Department also has set up a Swine Flu Hotline where callers can speak with health department staff to answer their questions on swine flu at (239) 461-6180. The state has information lines established where callers can receive additional swine flu information at 1-800-775-8039 or 1-800-342-3557.
Lee County: At a Glance
n Since April 28, 2009, 51 specimens of influenza A from Lee County have been sent to the state laboratory in Tampa for typing.
n Of the 51, 15 specimens have been ruled out as possible swine flu cases.
n Of the 51, 2 specimens have been confirmed by the CDC with swine flu.
n Of the 51, 1 specimen is a probable case of swine flu and is awaiting determination from the CDC.
n Of the 51, 33 specimens are still pending typing at the state laboratory in Tampa.
n Specimens have come from across Lee County.
n Lee County Health Department urges all citizens to continue with good flu hygiene in order to reduce the opportunity for infection.
Spring Creek Elementary
Due to a confirmed case of the Swine (H1N1) Flu at Spring Creek Elementary School, the Lee County Department of Health, the Lee County Emergency Operations Center, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners and the Lee County School Board, working together, decided to close Spring Creek Elementary.
The school is scheduled to be closed from Monday, May 4 to Friday, May 8. The school is scheduled to reopen Monday, May 11th unless the current situation changes.
The closing of Spring Creek Elementary is being done for precautionary reasons in an attempt to lessen any potential for the spread of the now confirmed case of Swine (H1N1) Flu.
The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau
The World Health Organization raised its threat level to five out of six for H1N1 (formerly known as Swine Flu), saying that the world is at imminent risk of a swine flu pandemic as there were 156 confirmed cases confirmed in 10 countries. At the same time, WHO has stated clearly that no travel restrictions are in place, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that this flu should not discourage people from traveling to or within the United States.
The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau is closely monitoring the situation and working in tandem with county government and area health experts. We stand ready to help them accurately communicate critical information to visitors when and if needed.
While testing is under way here and in some areas of Florida, there are no confirmed cases of the flu in Florida at this time. To help keep apprised of developments, we are following the response from VISIT FLORIDA and the U.S. Travel Association; and we are receiving regular updates from our international representatives regarding how the issue is impacting travel to the U.S. They are telling us that the issue is top-of-mind in international media and that some tour operators and travel companies are cancelling flights into Cancun and other destinations in Mexico for the time being. Other operators have issued public statements that their customers may annul or rebook travel to Mexico scheduled for departure through June 3 free of charge. To date, tour operators are not reporting an abrupt decline in travel to the U.S.
There also is a government advisement in the U.K. against non-essential travel to Mexico, but no mention of the U.S. travel at this time. Meanwhile, the German foreign ministry simply recommends travelers follow media reports closely and take precautions such as frequent cleansing of hands and avoiding crowds. No official “travel warning” has been issued for any country. And in France, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises the French not to travel to Mexico unless they have an imperative need.
Of course, we shall continue to monitor the situation and keep you apprised of relevant developments. In the meantime, we are presenting a one-hour breakout session on crisis communications tomorrow afternoon as part of our Team Tourism Summit to commemorate National Tourism Week. There is still time to register at www.leevcb.com. Also, for more information and regular industry updates on the matter, visit the U.S. Travel Association’s Web site at http://www.tia.org/index.html.
State level
A public health emergency was declared by the State Surgeon General.
A toll free information line has been established to address an increasing number of calls from the public requesting Swine Flu information. The number is 1-800-342-3557; it is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Samples are being received by Florida Department of Health Laboratories for analysis from physicians and hospitals across the state.
The Department of Health continues enhanced surveillance and outreach to physicians, hospitals and other health care professionals. The surveillance system- consisting of sentinel physicians reporting influenza activity, DOH laboratories receiving specimens from physicians and hospitals and our ability to monitor emergency room cases and over-the-counter drug sales- is fully operational. A response plan has been activated and is ready to respond to any cases of swine flu if it should occur.
The Department of Health continues its enhanced surveillance with a network of Sentinel Physician Providers. These providers send selected samples of laboratory specimens to state laboratories for testing if they have patients with Influenza Like Illness (ILI). These physicians also continue to report weekly ILI cases to the Department of Health.
Anti-virals have been pre-positioned to areas of potential need. There are more than 500,000 individual courses.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 226 confirmed cases of novel influenza in the United States with one death in a 23-month old.
The Florida Surgeon General provided these recommendations:
n People with respiratory illness should stay home from work or school to avoid spreading infections, including influenza, to others in the community.
n If you think you have influenza, please call your health care provider and discuss whether you need to be seen in their office, emergency department or stay home.
n If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
n Avoid close contact with people who are coughing or otherwise appear ill.
n Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
n Wash hands frequently to lessen the spread of respiratory illness.
n Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when you cough or sneeze.
n Get plenty of rest, eat a healthy diet.
For additional information about the Swine Flu situation, please call the Florida Department of Health at 1-800-342-3557 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily until further notice.
World level
The World Health Organization alert level remains at Phase 5. The declaration of a Phase 5 is a strong signal that the pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.
Participation in Centers for Disease Control and other national conference calls will continue.
Symptoms of influenza include fever, headache, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.