First potential cases of swine flu reported in Riverside County
The first four cases of probable swine flu have been identified in Riverside County, public health officials announced today.
“With these cases we now believe swine flu is in the community but we do not know the extent to which it exists. This is a time for precaution, not panic,” County Health Officer Eric Frykman cautioned.
Four patients tested positive for a strain of influenza that is a strong indicator of swine flu, Frykman said. Test sample have been sent to state health officials for confirmation. Riverside County issued a proclamation of local emergency today to ramp up response and seek federal and state resources.
The following information is available about the cases:
— Two people have been hospitalized in Riverside. One is an 87 year-old woman who was visiting family. She had recently traveled to Baja California. The second patient is a five-year-old girl who is unrelated to the other Riverside patient. Her travel history is being reviewed.
— A 16-year-old girl from Corona was seen at an outpatient clinic but was not hospitalized. Her travel history is being investigated.
— A 17-year-old girl from Indio was seen at an outpatient clinic but was not hospitalized. Travel history is being investigated.
County health officials have activated an operations center to coordinate information that will be sent to school districts and community members. Residents are encouraged to avoid unnecessary crowding at large events until more information is available about the extent of the flu in the community.
A press conference to discuss the potential local swine flu cases will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the County Administrative Center, 4080 Lemon St. in downtown Riverside. County Health Officer Eric Frykman and Board Chairman Jeff Stone will be present. The media is invited to attend.
The county’s Department of Public Health is monitoring reports of patients treated throughout the county and will track any changes in current status. Information will be available at http://news.co.riverside.ca.us/swineflu/ .
People suffering from flu-like symptoms should seek medical care from their regular health provider and otherwise stay home to prevent the spread of any illness. Anyone who is coughing or sneezing should cover their nose and mouth and everyone should wash their hands frequently.
The national Center for Disease Control has advised against any non-essential travel to Mexico, where the swine flu seems to have originated. Anyone returning from recent travel to Mexico should monitor their health for 10 days and seek medical attention if they develop flu-like symptoms such as a fever with cough, sore throat and trouble breathing. More information about swine flu is available from the CDC at www.cdc.gov/swineflu .
An information hotline at (951) 955-2000 will be available after the press conference and information will be updated when it becomes available at http://news.co.riverside.ca.us/swineflu/. The press conference will be streamed live and archived on the Web site.
For more information about the press conference, call public information specialist Lys Mendez at (951) 660-3222.
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For Additional Information
For information about swine flu, go to the federal
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
web page at
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm.
To view a health advisory with information about the risks of traveling to areas affected by
swine flu, go to
http://www.rivco-diseasecontrol.org/pdf/CDC_Health_Advisory04-26-2009.pdf.