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closeThree cases of swine flu, including one in Bibb County, have been documented in residents of the North Central Health District, officials said Friday.
None of them are believed to have contracted the H1N1 virus in the midstate, said Dr. David Harvey, the district health director for 13 counties. But because they live here, he said, it’s important to monitor their situations to see if they pass on swine flu to anyone else.
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What you can do
Make a family disaster kit. Include items that will help you care for someone with the flu, such as a thermometer, disposable gloves, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, bleach, soap, tissues, paper towels, hand sanitizer and surgical masks for each person in your household.
Plan how you will care for yourself and others if you become sick.
Plan how you will take care of a sick person.
Plan for child care in case schools and day cares have to close.
For more information, visit www.northcentralhealthdistrict.com.
SOURCE: Bibb County Medical Society and North Central Health District
The three documented cases, according to officials, include:
— A Bibb teen who attended a camp in north Georgia. Her diagnosis was confirmed Thursday, and she currently is receiving treatment in a local hospital.
— A Wilkinson County teen who attended a different camp in north Georgia. His diagnosis was confirmed Wednesday, and he is receiving treatment.
— A Jones County man who was traveling in Texas. He was diagnosed and treated there in mid-May.
As of Thursday, 118 confirmed and probable cases of H1N1 have been documented in Georgia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No deaths have been reported in the state.
Additional cases are expected as the summer ends and the weather starts to cool, Harvey said. By the time the pandemic — declared in June — is over, 35 percent of the population may contract swine flu, he said.
Health officials are worried about the impact of the flu once the seasonal strain comes back around.
“We’re expecting kind of a double whammy,” Harvey said.
Vaccine for the seasonal flu should be available in September. Although there currently is no swine flu vaccine, one could be available in October at the earliest, Harvey said.
About 36,000 people nationwide die from seasonal flu-related causes each year.
But Harvey cautioned now is not the time to panic.
Residents should take care to wash their hands with warm water and soap and avoid close contact with anyone who exhibits flu-like symptoms. Those include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue.
Local officials are prepared if swine flu becomes widespread in the area, said Johnny Wingers, director of the Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency. They have been doing table top exercises as practice, he said.
“We’re staying on top of this. ... We want to be proactive and not reactive in this situation,” he said.
In April, the Bibb County Pandemic Flu Committee adopted a flu pandemic and response plan that includes information about actions that will be taken in each phase of a pandemic and how each agency will react.
The committee includes local government, health-care, law enforcement and EMA officials.
“The primary thing we’re doing right now is educate, educate, educate,” Harvey said.
To contact writer Jennifer Burk, call 744-4345.
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