H1N1 'swine' flu confirmed in Colo.

KUSA - The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirms Colorado has its first cases of "swine" flu.
- H1N1 'swine' flu: FAQ

According to the CDPHE, two people in Colorado have been diagnosed with swine flu.

"As we expected, the virus is in Colorado," Dr. Ned Calonge, Colorado's chief medical officer, said.

Calonge said at a news conference on Thursday, the first case was a woman in her 30s from Arapahoe County who had just returned from a cruise in Mexico. They say she had also spent a few days in San Diego, which also has confirmed cases, therefore authorities haven't been able to pinpoint where or when she may have contracted the virus. She was not hospitalized.

Officials say the second case was a man in his 40s from Douglas County who works as a baggage handler at Denver International Airport. According to CDPHE officials, the case at DIA is a reminder to be vigilant about your health in public areas.

Calonge says the baggage handler was hospitalized for three days and could be released Thursday.

Authorities say both people are recovering and are doing well.

"This does not change our approach to the H1N1 flu outbreak," Calonge said. "All of our planning activities are in place. We will continue to look for new cases, monitor for outbreak and we have reponse that's in place and up and running commiserate to the severity of the illness that we're seeing."

Officials say "additional specimens" will be tested on Thursday. It wasn't clear when those results would be available.

"All the stuff we've been telling you, about be prepared, take precautions, and right now it looks like it's the seasonal flu. That's the same message," Calonge said.

This means 12 states have confirmed cases of swine flu: Arizona, California, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas.

"There's no reason to get tested if you're having mild illness. If you preferred to sit at home and call your employer a say, 'I have the swine flu,' that's the best approach. If you're ill, we want you stay at home and testing to confirm it changes nothing," Calonge said.

One person has died in the United States; nearly 170 have died in Mexico.

CDPHE said late Thursday it is working to move antiviral medications it got from the Strategic National Stockpile to 13 locations around the state. Since the outbreak began, state public health officials and federal officials have arranged for delivery of 167,000 courses of the antiviral medication, Tamiflu, from the national stockpile.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs that is caused by Type A influenza. It has been known to cause regular outbreaks in pigs. It is contagious, but doctors don't know how easily the virus spreads between people. Although it is called swine flu, you cannot get swine flu by eating pork.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CPHE) says symptoms of "swine" flu are very similar to the regular human flu, and include: Fever greater than 100°F, sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, chills, headache and body aches, and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with "swine" flu.

Health workers say you are most contagious when you start showing symptoms.

"Within a couple days of symptoms after you start feeling better, the degree of contagiousness actually goes down quite a bit to almost nothing and once you're exposed, if you're not sick within a week, you're probably not going to get sick with the infection," Dr. Connie Price with Denver Health Medical Center said.

Many health professionals are now calling it the H1N1 flu, instead of "swine" flu.

"The H1N1 designation refers to markers on the surface of the virus, which helps us determine what types of Type A influenza virus we're dealing with, what kind of strain it is," Price said. "So we've heard about the avian influenza which is H5 and N1 and other strains that are common that we'll include in the vaccine that may be circulation at any time."

Calogne has advised Coloradans with flu-like symptoms to stay home.

"This is regardless of travel history. Children and adolescents with fever should not go to day care or school. Adults with fever should not go to work until their symptoms resolve. Individuals with severe illness, such as difficulty breathing, should contact their health care provider," Calogne said at a news conference Sunday.

The CDPHE adds this may be a good time to make sure you and your family are prepared for an emergency that may require you to stay at home for several days. We want to take the opportunity to remind people to be prepared at home, including considering having food, water and other necessities.

The Weld County Department of Public Health says the current influenza vaccine is not recommended for swine flu prevention.

The CDC, the CDPHE, Arapahoe County and the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment say you can decrease your chances of getting the flu by doing the following:

* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.

* Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

* Avoid others with respiratory illnesses.

* Use sanitizing agents to clean commonly used areas in your home or work space, such as door knobs, handles, faucets, counter tops, etc.

* Practice good health habits including adequate sleep, eating nutritious food, and keeping physically active.

The Department of Homeland Security says warnings about travel to Mexico will stay in place while swine flu continues to be detected there. No travel bans have been issued, but airlines are allowing passengers to reschedule flights to and from Mexico without any extra charge.

Denver International Airport says as part of its infectious disease procedure, if DIA receives word that an inbound flight to Denver has a passenger(s) with suspected symptoms, they will let the Denver Health paramedics on staff at the airport meet the plane. Those staff members will determine what happens next.

Pitkin County said its incident management team has been meeting regularly for nearly three years to plan for the possibility of a flu epidemic or pandemic. On Monday, it ramped up its efforts from behind the scenes planning to a more public awareness raising effort focused on preparation and illness avoidance. Representatives from Community Health, Pitkin County, City of Aspen, Town of Snowmass Village, Aspen Valley Hospital and Aspen School District are on the team.

The state of Colorado has set up a helpline for those with questions. The number for the Colorado Health Emergency Line for the Public (CoHELP) is 1-877-462-2911. You can also visit the CDPHE Web site at www.cdphe.state.co.us or the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov/swineflu. You can also call the CDC at 800-CDC-INFO (4636).