Health officials urge calm

Nevada health officials told lawmakers today that there's no reason for panic about swine flu, and the state is prepared to treat more cases if they are found.

"We need to reduce any kind of panic on this," said Dr. Mary Guinan, acting state health officer. "Of the 140 or so cases we have in this country, they have not been more serious than our regular flu."

The panel also was told medications used to treat seasonal flu are effective for swine flu. The officials reiterated that the state has plenty of Tamiflu and Relenza, which are used to treat the illness, but those medications are not a vaccine and not available over the counter.

The state's first case of swine flu was confirmed on Wednesday in a 2-year-old Reno girl.

"That child was placed on treatment, is getting treatment, and all reports are she is doing well," said Mike Willden, director of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Willden said that five samples taken from Nevadans who have exhibited flu-like symptoms were sent to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta because the state lab wasn't able to eliminate them as possible swine flu cases.

Results are expected over the weekend.

The state has been testing hundreds of samples collected from 60 sites statewide. Guinan said the testing system was already in place because the system is regularly used during the flu season which lasts from October to May.

"We do have other prospective cases, but they also are not to this date severe," Guinan added. "We can expect deaths, because we know that we have 36,000 deaths a year in the U.S. with the usual strain of flu."

Officials were awaiting word from the Centers for Disease Control about laboratory samples taken from the girl's mother who also is ill.

Guinan also said there's no reason to stay away from pigs or other animals.

"There is no animal known to have transmitted this virus," Guinan said, explaining that it originally came from a pig but was transmitted through a bird or a human, and is spread by human-to-human contact.

"There's also no concern about food," Guinan said. This is a big concern of people " should I eat pork, can I have ham. There is no worry, this not how it's spread."

The officials speculated that the outbreak in Mexico became serious because the flu has a high infection rate, not because it is more deadly.

"The CDC is telling us there seems to be a very high infection rate with this flu," Guinan said. "It may not be stronger than the regular flu, but it had a higher infection rate."

Willden also said the state will soon set up a hotline where people can access swine flu information over the phone.

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On the Net:

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu"you.htm

http://health.nv.gov/