Two more cases of swine flu confirmed in Ohio; virus spreads in U.S., Asia, Europe

By GEOFF DUTTON

One ‘probable’ case of an H1N1 infection has been reported in nearby Portage County.

COLUMBUS — Health officials have confirmed two cases of swine flu in Columbus, heightening concerns about the fast-spreading virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday confirmed the cases, which involve two men, ages 31 and 33, including an employee of Ohio State University Medical Center.

The hospital system began screening visitors and patients for symptoms.

At the same time, OSU officials are working with local, state and federal health authorities about a suspected case of swine flu involving a male freshman.

There are now three confirmed cases of swine flu statewide.

“The confirmation of these cases points to the seriousness of the situation,” said Sara Morman, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Health. “We want everyone to be vigilant about washing hands, and if you think you might be sick, don’t wait to go to the doctor.”

The World Health Organization said that in the outbreak’s epicenter, Mexico, the number of verified cases of the flu caused by the H1N1 virus is growing but that the increase is tied to testing of already collected samples.

Epidemic eases in Mexico

Mexican officials said the epidemic appears to be easing but urged citizens not to let their guard down against a virus that has killed 19 people there and is spreading across Asia and Europe. Experts warned that the virus could mutate and come back with a vengeance.

Mexico has had no suspected swine flu deaths since Wednesday, and fewer people were turning up at hospitals with symptoms.

In the first known reported case of the new, mutated virus infecting another species, pigs in the Canadian province of Alberta have become infected and are under quarantine. They apparently got the virus from a farm worker who recently visited Mexico and contracted swine flu, Canadian officials said.

They told a news conference in Ottawa that the pigs do not pose a food safety risk, adding that the traveler recovered from the swine flu and the pigs are recovering. The outbreak occurred on a single farm, where about 10 percent of 2,200 pigs showed a fever and loss of appetite. No pigs have died from the virus, officials said.

About infected OSU student

The Ohio State student with the suspected case lives in Stradley Hall, which is home to about 450 students.

OSU President E. Gordon Gee attended several events on campus, including a previously scheduled ice cream social at Stradley. He frequently used hand sanitizer during the day, but none of his events, or any others on the campus, was canceled.

“We have to be cautious without creating a panic,” he said.

Gee said he has participated in regular conference calls with health officials, residence hall staff members and OSU administrators to get updates and share information.

“We have an emergency process that’s being acted upon,” he said. “It’s fantastic that we have our own great medical center here.”

Bottles of hand sanitizer were being distributed to students.

Dr. Roger Miller, a physician who works at the Wilce Student Health Center at Ohio State, was among the staff members who saw students after news of the suspected case on campus spread.

University health, housing, emergency preparedness and administration officials are coordinating Ohio State’s response.

“You need to strike a balance between a reasonable approach from the clinical side, and something that’s workable and doesn’t incite panic,” Miller said.

The student was exposed to the virus through family members believed to have contracted it, according to university officials. The school is notifying students who had close contact to the student during the past two days.

The freshman, who had a high fever and a cough, is isolated on campus and is being treated, the school said.

At the Wilce Student Health Center, an expanded weekend staff greeted visitors with elbow bumps instead of handshakes. Bright orange swine-flu signs and brochures were prominently displayed in the lobby, alongside a box of masks.

Staff members answered questions from students and parents, and will take phone calls again today from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Most of the call-ins have been from parents,” Miller said. “They’re out of town and want to know what we’re doing.”

Stradley Hall residents, who said the building was being sanitized, seemed to take the news in stride.

“They’re just saying wash your hands well,” freshman Rachel Craig said. “Nobody’s freaking out yet.”

Jen Mitchell, a freshman whose room is on the 11th floor, where the student with the suspected case lives, said everybody is being urged to stay calm but take basic precautions: “If you feel sick, go to the health center.”

Saturday, the state’s county-by-county numbers showed 40 suspected cases, down from 42 the day before and 59 on Thursday. Suspected cases include people who have exhibited symptoms but haven’t been tested yet.

The state health department also reported two probable cases — a 39-year-old woman in Holmes County and a 39-year-old woman in Portage County. Probable cases have preliminary tests indicating an Influenza A infection but confirmatory tests are needed to determine whether the person is infected with H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, the department said.

U.S. President Barack Obama urged caution. ‘This is a new strain of the flu virus, and because we haven’t developed an immunity to it, it has more potential to cause us harm,’ Obama said.

So far, symptoms generally have been mild in the United States, where the swine flu has killed one person, a Mexican toddler who was visiting Texas.

About a third of the confirmed U.S. cases of swine flu are people who had been to Mexico and likely picked up the infection there, a federal health official said.

The case of the OSU Medical Center employee who worked Monday and Tuesday and became ill on Tuesday has led to the identification of more than 100 co-workers who might have been exposed.

A couple of the people exposed at the Medical Center last week are exhibiting symptoms and are considered suspected cases, according to the city.