By Brian M. Boyce
TERRE HAUTE — A Notre Dame University student in St. Joseph County is the first confirmed case of swine influenza in Indiana, and the public is advised to use common-sense precautions as more cases are reported.
Officials banged their drum Tuesday afternoon at a media conference in Union Hospital’s Landsbaum Center, repeating over and over the basics of washing hands, covering mouths while coughing and staying home when ill.
“This is a message we give every year,” said Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Judy Monroe, joking at one point that shaking hands should be replaced with “bumping elbows.”
And while the flu itself is no laughing matter, Monroe and Joe Wainscott Jr., executive director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, said there’s no cause for panic.
“Hoosiers should take this event seriously,” Wainscott said. “But there’s no real need for alarm.”
Monroe did note that children under 18 should not take aspirin while sick with any type of influenza, as this can lead to organ damage.
Both advised concerned residents to call their family physician if symptoms arise, as a prognosis might be able to be made via the telephone. Staying away from others is a key, both said.
“Follow all normal precautions to avoid the flu, including hand washing and covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough. Also, please stay home from work or school if you’re sick,” Monroe said.
Some confusion surrounding the name of the influenza led to a brief explanation by Monroe.
The North American human influenza A (H1N1) has been commonly referred to as “swine influenza” or “pig flu,” but it is neither in the meat or limited to hogs, she said.
The name refers to the genetics of the viral organism itself.
“Influenza viruses are tricky viruses that have stumped doctors and researchers for years,” she said, explaining that the organism responsible mutates and cross-breeds rapidly.
The flu in question shares genetic components of swine, aviary and human influenza, making it impervious to existing vaccines, she explained.
Believed to have originated in Mexico, Wainscott advised residents to use caution in interacting with people who have been to that country recently.
A member of the audience asked about eating at Mexican restaurants, and Wainscott said the virus’s duration is about seven days with two in incubation, meaning unless individuals have traveled to Mexico recently, they should be safe.
According to The Associated Press, more than 150 have died in Mexico in conjunction with the illness. But Wainscott said those numbers are a little misleading.
“It’s a real mixed bag coming out of Mexico,” he said, explaining that some of those deaths could be correlated with other factors. Anywhere from 10 to 100 of the deaths could be directly caused by the virus, he said.
U.S. scientists hope to have a key ingredient for a swine flu vaccine ready in early May, but are finding that the novel virus grows slowly in eggs — the chief way flu vaccines are made. Even if all goes well, it still will take a few months before any shots are available for the first required safety testing in volunteers.
“We’re working together at 100 miles an hour to get material that will be useful,” Dr. Jesse Goodman, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration’s swine flu work, told The Associated Press.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said a vaccine is being developed “very rapidly” and could be ready in time for the next flu season.
In the meantime, Monroe said the first confirmed case in Indiana is doing well and had mild symptoms, something she attributed to youth and good health.
State officials sent numerous samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Monday evening, she said, stating only one came back positive.
But as sudden as the new strain of influenza might seem, officials said they’ve been ready all along.
“This event has roots in planning several years back,” Wainscott said.
The Strategic National Supply, a storehouse of supplies and medications, is well-stocked and ready to respond, he said.
In the meantime, Monroe emphasized that the most important thing people can do at the moment is practice good hygiene, wash their hands and cover their mouths when coughing.
Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.
