News and Alerts
Posted: April 28, 2009
Contact: Mary Maddux-Gonzalez, MD
Sonoma County Public Health Officer
707-565-4401
Swine Flu Update
As of noon today, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported 66 confirmed human cases of Swine Influenza A/H1N1 in five states with a total of 5 hospitalizations. No deaths have been reported. CDC officials describe the situation as "rapidly evolving" and expect that additional cases will be reported as outbreaks continue to occur. U.S. cases have been generally mild, affecting individuals aged 7 to 54, with an incubation period of two to seven days.
In California, 12 cases have been confirmed. Two cases were reported as probable today in Marin county. There have been no reported cases of swine flu in Sonoma County. To date, the Sonoma County Public Health Lab has received a total of 17 local samples for testing, none of which have been positive.
Sonoma County Public Health officials are continuing their efforts to prepare healthcare providers and the public in the event of a local outbreak. The Department of Health Services has enhanced surveillance to quickly identify any cases and is working closely with local physicians, clinics, hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities to provide updated information and coordinate a system-wide response.
There is currently no preventive vaccine for swine flu and no plan for mass vaccination. However, anti-viral medications (Tamiflu or Relenza) are effective in treating swine flu once a person becomes ill. California has received anti-virals from the Strategic National Stockpile and is working with counties on plans to distribute them to infected individuals, should the situation warrant it.
Dr. Mary Maddux-Gonzalez, Sonoma County Health Officer, emphasized, "At this time, there have been no cases of swine flu in Sonoma County and no indication of an increase in influenza-like illness." Dr. Maddux-Gonzalez advises any persons with flu-like illness to stay home from work or school to avoid spreading infection to others. "Control of an infectious disease is a shared responsibility - individuals have a key role in reducing their own likelihood of getting infected." Frequent hand washing and covering your cough can also help to prevent the spread of respiratory illness. Individuals with severe flu symptoms should contact their physicians who can assess the need for testing or treatment.
According to Dr. Mary Maddux-Gonzalez, "It is very possible that we will experience swine flu cases or even an outbreak in Sonoma County. In that event, we may need to protect our population by closing schools and discouraging large public gatherings. As always, it is a good idea for the public to plan for child care, business continuity or care for an infected family member."
The Department of Health Services receives regular updates from the Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control. The Sonoma County Public Health website www.sonoma-county.org/publichealth is updated continuously to reflect new information. More information about swine flu is available at:
www.cdph.ca.gov
www.cdc.gov/flu/swine
Some documents on this Web Site are saved in Adobe Acrobat format. If you do not own a copy of Acrobat Reader, you may download it for free.