by Mike Bush
Doctor: No swine flu in Roswell
There is no truth to a rumor that Roswell has experienced its first case of swine flu, an emergency room doctor at Roswell Regional Hospital said Wednesday.
Neither Roswell Regional nor Eastern New Mexico Medical Center has reported any cases of the H1N1 influenza virus, popularly known as swine flu, nor has any local doctor’s office reported one, Dr. Alan Arrington said late Wednesday afternoon.
The virus apparently originated in Mexico and, as of Wednesday afternoon, there were 2,500 reported cases resulting in 159 deaths.
Although there have been no reported cases of H1N1 in southern New Mexico, the area is at risk for the virus, Arrington said, “because we are so close to Mexico and so many individuals in this state go back and forth across the border.” Sixteen cases have been reported in Texas, including one resulting in death.
Influenza produces coughs and/or sore throats, fever and muscle and joint aches, Arrington said.
“The only thing that seems to be atypical (about H1N1) is that the patient seems to get a fever quickly, early on in the disease, and fairly high,” Arrington said.
H1N1, a variety of influenza A, doesn’t seem to have a high mortality rate. Arrington said there has been only one reported death in the United States from H1N1, a 23-month-old child. No details had been released on why the child was particularly at risk.
Most of the deaths attributed to H1N1 have been in Mexico. Arrington said the high mortality rate in Mexico may be attributed to health-care delivery problems and the consequent delay in treatment.
According to a New Mexico Department of Health notification, swine flu might be suspected in a person who has a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, a cough or sore throat with no other obvious cause and who, within the previous seven days, has had close contact with a person with a confirmed case of H1N1, traveled to a community where there was one or more confirmed cases of H1N1 or resides in a community where there have been one or more cases.
“We’re actually past the normal flue season,” Arrington said.
In the Roswell Regional emergency room, a swab is taken from anyone coming in with flu-like symptoms to test for influenza A. If it comes back positive, another swab is taken that specifically is tested for H1N1, Arrington said.
He said the drug Tamiflu has been shown to be effective in treating H1N1, but flu shots given last fall are not going to protect people from the virus.
Typically, influenza A is more likely to be fatal for young children and elderly adults, Arrington said. The CDC is saying healthy adults who contract H1N1 should expect to have it for 7-10 days, although in the absence of medication it’s not uncommon for the disease to hang on for three to four weeks.
The best way people can protect themselves against the flu is by frequent hand washing, especially if they come into contact with someone who has the flu, Arrington said. People who get the flu should stay home and not spread it around, and those caring for people who have the flu should wash their hands frequently and wear surgical masks.
For more information on the swine flu, go to the CDC We site at www.cdc.gov/swineflu or the New Mexico Department of Health Web site at www.health.state.nm.us.
CONTACT: Mike Bush, 575-317-6249