As of Thursday morning, there had been no reports of the swine flu in Idaho. But as the virus continues to spread through the country, state and local health officials remain on watch with contingency plans and continual testing.
"We are doing active testing for influenza," said Tonia Bruess, marketing and public relations coordinator for St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center, south of Ketchum.
Bruess said St. Luke's has conducted a total of 11 sample tests on people with swine flu-like symptoms. None were positive.
In addition, the Idaho State Laboratory has tested 26 samples from people with swine flu-like symptoms. Again, all tested negative. The state and district health departments are investigating 12 additional reports of flu-like illnesses in Idaho, with no results as of Thursday.
"We have no confirmed cases in the state of Idaho," Bruess said.
There is, however, reason for concern, as both Utah and Washington have reported a number of probable cases of the virus. The samples have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further testing.
The Park City School District, in Utah, has closed all eight schools in the district at least through Monday, May 4. The action was taken as a proactive and precautionary measure after the identification of three students who are possibly carrying the swine flu virus.
According to the CDC, a total of 109 cases of swine flu and one flu-related death have been confirmed in the United States.
Swine influenza—or flu—is a respiratory disease that typically inflicts pigs. However, it can and has occurred in humans. It is not known how easily the virus spreads between people.
In the past, CDC received reports of approximately one human swine influenza virus infection every one to two years in the United States, but from December 2005 through February 2009, 12 cases of human infection with swine influenza have been reported.
Symptoms of swine flu are similar to the seasonal flu. They include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue, with some reports of vomiting and diarrhea. The virus is susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir, and the CDC has sent Idaho medication to treat as many as 50,000 people.
For updates, visit the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Web site, www.swineflu.idaho.gov, or the Centers for Disease Control Web site, www.cdc.gov.
Della Sentilles: della@mtexpress.com
How to avoid the flu
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare advises:
Wash your hands after being out in public or coughing.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Cover your cough or sneeze.
Stay home from work or school if sick.
Swine flu cannot be contracted from eating properly handled and cooked pork.
The department also recommends individuals and families have an adequate supply of canned goods and water in case of the closure of public buildings.
Symptoms of swine flu:
Fever
Cough
Sore throat
Body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue
Some reports have included vomiting and diarrhea.
