The first case of swine flu in La Salle County has been confirmed.
The La Salle County Health Department received notification from the Illinois Department of Public Health that a 22-year-old La Salle County woman was diagnosed. Her residence and condition were not released due to federal privacy restrictions.
The health department is working closely with IDPH and Centers for Disease Control to monitor and keep residents informed about this outbreak.
To date, there are 1,268 confirmed H1N1 flu cases in Illinois with four deaths; all had underlying medical conditions. Across the country, 17 people have died from this flu and there are 11,054 confirmed or probable cases.
Like seasonal influenza, some people may be at greater risk of serious complications related to novel H1N1 infection and illness. People who are at high risk of serious seasonal flu-related complications include pregnant women, children younger than 5 years old, people with chronic medical conditions and people age 65 and older. Examples of chronic medical conditions include diabetes, asthma, heart disease and lung disease.
H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu, is contagious and is spread from human to human. Spread of the swine flu is thought to be happening the same way seasonal flu is spread — from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza.
People may become infected by touching something with the flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Infected people may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to seven days after becoming sick, meaning infected people can pass on the flu before they notice symptoms.
H1N1 flu symptoms are similar to seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with H1N1 flu.
Public health officials recommend people who have flu-like symptoms, fever with a cough or sore throat, should stay home for seven days after the onset of illness or at least 24 hours after the symptoms go away, whichever is longer. People with symptoms who wish to seek medical care should contact their health care provider by phone before going to a clinic, physician's office or hospital. If someone is having difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, or are believed to be severely ill, they should seek immediate medical attention.
For up-to-date information on confirmed cases in La Salle County and flu prevention, call Ottawa Regional Hospital's H1N1 flu hotline at 815-431-5721; the Illinois flu hotline at 866-848-2094 for English; and 866-241-2138 for Spanish. The Illinois hotline operates from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
The following Web sites, La Salle County Health Department, www.lasallecounty.org/hd; CDC, www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu; and IDPH, www.idph.state.il.us/swine_flu/index.htm, also have updated information. Print this story
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