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County, state get ready for swine flu
Friday, May 1, 2009
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State and local health officials are ramping up efforts to contain the spread of the swine flu virus since six probable cases have surfaced in Maryland this week.
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene officials announced Wednesday that three probable cases of the virus in Anne Arundel County and three in Baltimore County have been reported and samples have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control for testing. The Anne Arundel cases involve members of the same family who have no history of foreign travel although a relative recently returned from an affected area, according to a DHMH press release. Two Baltimore cases involve members of the same family, one of whom recently returned from travel in an affected area.
The third Baltimore case is a resident who traveled out of Maryland to a place that is not considered an affected area, according to the press release.
An outbreak of the virus that carries the same symptoms as seasonal flu was first reported in Mexico City over the weekend.
There were 91 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States on Thursday, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Cases have been reported in Arizona, California, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, NewYork, Ohio and Texas.
The CDC reports that one person has died in Texas from the ailment.
Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick Kasia Sweeney said CMH has a pandemic plan that is coordinated with the county health department and that a five-day drill was completed this summer.
"We are planning ahead … we are following that plan and working to help prevent any spread of the virus," Sweeney said.
She said that both CMH and the Calvert County Health Department are receiving regular updates from the CDC and are posting them on their Web pages.
Calvert County public schools sent an e-mail to parents on Tuesday saying it is working closely with the health department to monitor the situation.
Sweeney also said it is crucial for the public to know that "there are common sense everyday actions that can be taken to prevent spreading influenza" particularly frequent hand-washing.
Vice President of Performance Improvement and Risk Management Susan Dohony is leading CMH's emergency preparedness team and pandemic planning and said her team has not seen a "surge in patients presenting flu-like symptoms."
She also said that although the suspected cases in Maryland have not required hospitalization, CMH would be prepared should hospitalization be warranted after a patient tested positive.
"Testing is done with a nasal syringeal swab — it's like a big Q-tip that goes back into your nose," Dohony said, adding that this test would be given only if a patient met all of the appropriate criteria or had come into contact with a person or area infected with swine flu.
"We expect cases here in Maryland. That's what we're preparing for," said Fran Phillips, deputy secretary of public health with the state Department of Health and Mental Hygeine.
Maryland has a stockpile of 276,000 doses of Tamiflu, one of four known anti-viral medications that are effective against swine flu, said David Paulson, a DHMH spokesman.
The federal government also could release its stockpile of Tamiflu if necessary, he said, and that would mean 200,000 more doses.
