Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

health:

45 U.S. swine flu cases confirmed as state prepares

Nevada hasn’t had a confirmed case but Gibbons says state resources are available

Swine flu

AP Photo/Denis Poroy

Travelers entering the U.S. from Mexico cross a bridge at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego on Sunday. U.S. officials say they will begin asking travelers about illness if they’re entering the country from regions with confirmed swine flu. The U.S. has declared a public health emergency, providing for easier access to flu tests and medications and increasing surveillance along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Updated Monday, April 27, 2009 | 6:27 p.m.

Swine flu reaction in California

A Customs and Border Protection agent wears a protective mask while interviewing the driver of vehicle entering the United States at the San Ysidro Border Crossing in San Diego on Monday. Launch slideshow »

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 45 cases of swine flu in the United States, but none in Nevada.

The state Assembly Health and Human Services Committee scheduled a presentation on swine flu at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, said Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, who chairs the Assembly committee and oversees health issues.

"While no cases of the swine flu have been reported in Nevada, our state must be particularly on guard as a result of our high rate of tourism," Smith said.

The committee will hear a presentation from Mike Wilden, director of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, at the meeting set for the steps of the Nevada Health Division. Smith said she contacted Wilden Monday morning to brief the committee.

"With the large number of visitors who come to our state every day, we must make sure we are taking every possible action to be prepared," Smith said.

The Sparks assemblywoman, who also serves on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, said that as legislators cope with the budget shortfall, they need to determine as soon as possible if any funds need to be set aside to deal with a potential outbreak.

The committee hearing will be videoconferenced to Room 4401 of the Grant Sawyer State Office Building at 555 W. Washington Ave. in Las Vegas.

Gov. Jim Gibbons on Monday pledged every available resource needed by state agencies.

"This situation is evolving very quickly," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control, sending a cautionary note that health experts believe the disease will spread.

The cases are in the same five states reported on Sunday, including New York, California, Texas, Kansas and Ohio. An additional 20 cases were confirmed in New York City after screening, Besser said.

In the coming days Besser said health experts expect more cases with a broader range of severity. Swine flu is normally confined to one or two cases a year in the United States, he said.

The United States declared a public health emergency on Sunday after the CDC laboratory confirmed 26 cases in Mexico, Besser said. That means that travelers crossing the U.S.-Mexican border will be screened more thoroughly.

In Mexico, 103 cases of swine flu have been confirmed, Besser said.

Both the CDC and the World Health Organization, a United Nations agency, said none of the cases of swine flu in the United States had been fatal.

The World Health Organization raised its pandemic level from three to four on Monday. That does not mean that a pandemic is occurring, but provides more resources, medical personnel and medicines in case a pandemic is declared at level six.

Besser said the median age for United States cases is 16 years and ages of those affected range from 7 years to 54 years old.

Although one person in the United States was hospitalized, all those confirmed with the swine flu have recovered, Besser said.

The altered version of the swine flu that has been reported in Mexico, the United States and Canada has elements of pig, bird and human influenza viruses, Besser said.

The United States cannot answer why the disease in Mexico appears more severe and deadly than those in the United States.

In the past, swine flu has not been easily transmitted by humans. The virus spread to people who had direct contact to pigs. In these recent cases, the swine flu is apparently passing from person to person, Besser said.

Symptoms appear as most influenza strains with fever, headache, upper respiratory distress, vomiting and diarrhea. In the case of swine flu, the cough and fever tend to worsen over days.

Besser stressed that everyone should carefully wash their hands with soap and water or antibacterial soap. For those with symptoms of any flu, affected persons should cover their noses and mouths with a tissue and then dispose of it. Anyone with symptoms should stay home, away from offices, schools or other public places.

President Barack Obama said Monday that the threat of spreading swine flu infections is a matter of concern, "not a cause for alarm."

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