PROBABLE SWINE FLU CASE IN WOOD COUNTY

(05/28/2009)
A "probable" case of swine flu is being reported by the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department this afternoon.

In a press release to the Hur Herald, an official said the case is a 15 year old child who is being treated at home.

"We are waiting for the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to confirm that the lab samples sent to them do indicate swine flu," said Martha Lamp, project coordinator for the health department's division of threat perparedness.

If the case is confirmed by the CDC, it will be the first in West Virginia.

West Virginia is one of only three states that has not had a confirmed case.

The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department is working closely with the healthcare providers in the area, and the State health Department to identify any more possible cases in the region, the agency said.

The flu virus can spread very easily from person to person when an infected individual coughs or sneezes in the air then the virus will be carried to a susceptible individual who is near or within 6 feet of that infected person.

You may also get infected if you touch surfaces that are contaminated with the virus and then touch your nose, mouth, or eyes.

More to follow.