New Mexico has three confirmed cases of H1N1 “swine” flu, and the three people who caught it have already recovered, according to a state Health Department advisory released Tuesday.
There have been 286 confirmed cases in 36 states, but unlike cases in Mexico, U.S. cases have been mild, the advisory states. The only swine flu deaths in the U.S. thus far were a Mexican toddler visiting Texas and a 33-year-old woman, also in Texas.
There have been no suspected cases in Rio Arriba County, County Emergency Manager Mateo DeVargas said.
“People need to understand there’s no flu pandemic,” DeVargas said Tuesday. “I am working closely with the state Health Department and Homeland Security. The Health Department is monitoring the situation and updating us daily.”
There were 11 new probable cases statewide, Department spokeswoman Deborah Busemeyer said Tuesday afternoon.
Of the 24 probable cases in the state, four have recovered, eight are getting better and the status of 15 cases were unknown as of Tuesday afternoon, the advisory states.
None of the individuals who are being classified as possible or confirmed cases had visited Mexico, where the swine flu strain originated.
Probable cases have occurred in Bernalillo, Doña Ana, Eddy, Hidalgo, Luna, Sandoval, Sierra, Socorro and Velencia counties, according to the Department advisory. Most of the cases involved children and teens, according to the advisory. As a precautionary measure, 15 schools were closed this week in Socorro, Deming, Carlsbad and Lordsburg.
Federal health officials had advised schools to shut down for two weeks if they had suspected cases, but federal Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday that the virus was mild enough that schools do not need to close in response to suspected cases.
Clean Hands
The best defense is frequent hand washing, Busemeyer said.
“We see no reason to wear masks right now,” Busemeyer said. “Our advice is, if you’ve a fever and cough or a fever and sore throat, you should call your doctor and stay at home. It’s not helpful to go to the health clinic and spread it, and it won’t be useful to ask to be screened if you don’t have a fever, because they won’t screen you.”
DeVargas has reviewed the County’s pandemic flu response plan and has been coordinating with County Jail Administrator Bidal Candelaria and County Health and Human Services Director Lauren Reichelt since April 28 to be ready just in case a pandemic occurs, DeVargas said.
There is not yet a vaccine against the strain, federal Centers for Disease Control Influenza Division Epidemiologist Carolyn Bridges said Tuesday. But the strain is susceptible to antiviral medications Tamiflu and Relenza, according to Bridges and state Health Department advisories.
“The state has 681,290 doses of Tamiflu and 65,600 doses of Relenza,” Health Department Spokesman Chris Minnick said.
That translates to enough antiviral medicine for 140,000 people, according to the Health Department’s May 4 advisory. The advisory also states that the federal government will be providing enough medicine for another 210,000 people, the advisory states.
The Department’s Epidemiology Bureau is now developing guidelines for how best to distribute antivirals in the event of a pandemic, Minnick said. The state’s Pandemic Influenza Preparation Plan, dated April 16, 2007, is still in draft form. The County has its own pandemic flu response plan.
People with fever plus sore throat or cough but who do not have a doctor should call the state Nurse Advice Line at (877) 725-2552. Only people with symptoms should call, Busemeyer said.
For more information about the H1N1 flu strain should call the state Health Department’s hot line at (866) 850-5893.