Recent Maryville visitor diagnosed with swine flu

A recent traveler to Maryville has been diagnosed with H1N1 influenza and was not feeling well while in Maryville, according to the Northwest Missouri State University Wellness Center and the Nodaway County Health Department. A campus advisory was sent out Thursday.

Although most cases of H1N1 have been relatively mild, there is a reason to be cautious, Nodaway County Health Department Administrator Della Rhoades said.

"There is the potential for people here to have been exposed to H1N1," Rhoades said. "This isn't the normal time of year for flu. That's why that should raise a red flag. Headaches, sore throat, aches, fever, some people have diarrhea and vomiting with it.

"So if you develop those symptoms, you want to call your health care provider and talk to them about it."

H1N1 is a new flu virus of swine origin that first caused illness in Mexico and the United States in March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's believed that H1N1 spreads much like a typical strain of influenza, but it may also be spread by touching infected objects and then touching one's mouth or nose.

Because of the potential for the virus to be spread, taking preventative measures is important and there are several things for people to watch for, said Barb Mullock, St. Francis Hospital and Health Services Infection Control Preventionist.

"(People with influenza) are contagious 24 hours before they even have symptoms. So prevention is key," Mullock said. "Watch their symptoms. If they start having a fever or any respiratory illness then they need to see a health provider. Before they see the health provider, use good cough hygiene, cough into their sleeves, cover their coughs, wash their hands. When they come into a health care facility, wear a surgical mask to help protect others until they know for sure what they've got."

People with flu-like symptoms should also not go to work, Rhoades said and added that people should have a plan in place in the event that they may need to stay home for a long period of time.
Lyn Finelli, a flu surveillance offical with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Thursday that as many as 1 million Americans have been infected with swine flu, according to the Associated Press. The United States has roughly half of the world's swine flu cases.

Missouri had 55 confirmed and probable cases of H1N1 and one death as of Thursday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6, which indicates that a global pandemic is underway. The alert level is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Still, Rhoades echoed Mullock's statement that prevention is the best medicine. People can do plenty to help and it bears repeating, she said.

"Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wash your hands. Wipe down that cart when you go to the grocery store before you put your hands on it, before you put a child in it. Cough in your elbow. Sneeze in your elbow," Rhoades said. "We're so used to things needing to be high-tech and it's the simple things that are good public health measures."

For more information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control Web site at Cdc.gov, contact the Nodaway County Health Department at (660) 562-2755 or contact the University Wellness Center at (660) 562-1348.