Probable Swine Flu case in Michigan

Health Department asks residents to take precautions

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) announced today that one probable swine flu case has been reported in Livingston County. State laboratory results showed that a 34-year-old woman of Livingston County has a probable case of the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus. The state laboratory results will be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today to determine if the case is positive.

The woman, who recently traveled to the Texas and Mexican border, experienced flu-like symptoms and is recovering at home.

“This probable case is not a cause for alarm but we do want people to be cautious,” said Dr. Greg Holzman, chief medical executive for MDCH. “If people are sick, they need to stay home from work and school.”

According to Dr. Robert Graham, Medical Director for MMDHD, there is no vaccine available at this time, so it is important to take the following steps to prevent spreading the virus to others:

• As always, people with respiratory illness should stay home from work or school to avoid spreading infections, including influenza, to others in the community.
• Avoid close contact with people who are coughing or otherwise appear ill.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze, to lessen the spread of respiratory illness. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and then throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. If no tissue is available, you can also cough or sneeze into your shirt sleeve.
• People experiencing severe symptoms including cough, fever, fatigue, sore throat, chills, headaches, body aches possibly along with diarrhea and vomiting, should call their physician.

If you have recently traveled to an area where Swine Influenza has been reported (see the CDSs website for an updated list at www.cdc.gov/swineflu) within the past seven days and develop an illness with fever, respiratory symptoms, such as a cough and runny nose, you should call your health care provider. Be sure to inform your health care provider if you have traveled to Mexico recently, had contact with an individual from the swine flu affected areas, or work closely with pigs. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.

Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food and a person cannot get swine influenza from eating pork products. The infections appear to spread from person to person. Drugs called antivirals can reduce the consequences of contracting the flu, if taken early.

Please visit www.mmdhd.org for more information.