April 27, 2009
Department of Health
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
CONTACT: Stacy
Kriedeman
PENNSYLVANIA
WORKING CLOSELY WITH FEDERAL PARTNERS TO CONTAIN IMPACT OF SWINE FLU
Federal
Health and Human Services Department declares a Public Health Emergency
HARRISBURG –
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is
working with federal officials to contain the impact of an outbreak of swine flu
in Mexico that resulted in the declaration of a national public health emergency
in the United States.
The
Department of Health is working to educate the public and health care providers
of recommended steps to prepare for potential cases of swine influenza in
Pennsylvania.
“At this point we do not have any confirmed cases of swine influenza in Pennsylvania, but we remain in constant communication with health officials at all levels,” said Health Secretary Everette James. “We are committed to keeping our health care providers, local health agencies, and the public informed as this situation develops.”
“The federal public health emergency declaration is simply a tool that allows for preparation and mobilization of resources to plan for and respond to this virus outbreak if we begin to see cases in Pennsylvania,” said Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Robert French. “We are coordinating our activities closely with our federal partners and all the public health and emergency agencies across the state,” said French.
The
Department of Health has notified health care providers across Pennsylvania to
be watchful for patients with influenza-like illness who may have been exposed
to the new swine flu strain and to immediately inform the local health
department of any suspected cases. The
department will assist all health care providers in evaluating the patients,
recommending control measures, and assisting in specimen collection and testing
when indicated.
This notification
follows confirmation of a new strain of swine influenza A/H1N1 virus in Mexico
and five locations in the U.S., including New York and Ohio.
To date, all U.S. cases were “mild” with only one person requiring
brief hospitalization.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swine influenza A/H1N1 is a new strain of influenza that has not previously been detected in swine or humans. The virus has also been confirmed in Canada and Mexico. It is still safe to eat pork and pork products.
The
Department of Health provided information to all of the state’s health care
providers and hospitals late Friday regarding the swine flu, including how to
quickly report possible cases and how to submit samples for testing. Anyone who
has traveled to or from the affected areas and has a respiratory illness should
contact their health care provider or local health department before seeking
health care.
Swine
influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses.
Outbreaks of swine flu happen regularly in pigs. Before the current outbreak,
people rarely got swine flu, and usually only if they were in very close
proximity to infected pigs. However, during the current outbreak, the virus is
able to spread from person-to-person.
Symptoms
of swine flu in people are similar to those of regular or seasonal flu and
include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some with swine flu also
have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Although
winter is over, there is still a low level of seasonal influenza occurring in
the state.
There
is no vaccine available at this time, but the swine flu can be treated with
certain antiviral drugs. Persons with swine flu are contagious for up to seven
days or longer after the onset of illness, so it is important to take the
following steps to prevent spreading the virus to others:
·
Stay home when you are
sick to avoid spreading illness to others;
·
Cough or sneeze into the
bend of your elbow or a tissue and properly dispose of used tissues;
·
Wash your hands frequently
and thoroughly with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
·
Avoid touching your eyes,
nose and mouth;
·
Stay healthy by eating a
balanced diet, drinking plenty of water and getting plenty of rest and exercise;
and
·
Seek care if you have
influenza-like illness.
The CDC is asking that those individuals who have a recent history of travel and experience mild, flu-like symptoms to stay home. However, if you feel your symptoms worsen or become severe, call or visit your health care provider.
For more
information on Swine Influenza A/H1N1, contact the Department of Health at
1-877-PA-HEALTH or visit www.health.state.pa.us.
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