The Boys & Girls Club of Carson Valley has closed its Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School location this week in response to a second confirmed case of the swine flu.
"We learned of the second confirmed case Friday afternoon and made the decision to close for a week minimum," Diane McCoy, director of operations for the Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada, said on Monday.
"If there are no new cases, then we will reopen (next) Monday. If there is another confirmed case, we may close for the remainder of the summer."
On July 22, branch director Shannon Harris was notified that a club member was sick with both swine flu and viral spinal meningitis.
The meningitis was not the contagious form, but school district employees disinfected the entire facility nonetheless.
Boys & Girls officials planned to keep the club open, but then news came of another child sick with the swine flu.
"All parents were notified Friday," McCoy said. "The decision was made with the school district, and the closure will be temporary."
McCoy said the first patient was released from the hospital and is now at home recovering.
She said the second patient was not hospitalized and has only a mild case of the illness.
"The child is at home and doing well," she said.
Still, parents are advised to seek medical attention immediately if they notice flu-like symptoms in their children.
"We know it's here in the community and throughout Nevada," said Martha Framsted, public information officer for the Nevada State Health Division. "While we don't have a vaccine yet, it's really important that people keep preventative practices in place."
She said those include frequent handwashing, sneezing or coughing into a shirt sleeve versus a disposable tissue, and staying home if experiencing symptoms.
"There is a regular flu vaccine available," she said, "and people can also talk to their healthcare providers about Pneumococcal, a pneumonia vaccine especially for people with underlying conditions."
Framsted said there have been 468 confirmed cases of swine flu in Nevada as of July 23.
"In our state, we will not be surprised to see more cases and more severe illness," she said. "Now is the time for people to start thinking about it and to talk to their healthcare providers about options."