Virginia has no reported cases of swine flu. But as the nation braces for a possible outbreak, state and local officials are taking precautionary steps to be prepared.

That said, both local and national health officials said that it could be just a matter of time before swine flu is confirmed in more states.

"Health officials around the country are looking and doing testing," Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a teleconference Monday. "So, you know, the good news is that we haven't identified it in additional states, but I wouldn't put too much on that."

State Health Commissioner Dr. Karen Remley issued a public health emergency declaration Monday. Additionally, health officials have opened a command center to track reports of flulike illnesses from all hospitals and health providers in the state, Gov. Tim Kaine said at a news conference Monday afternoon in Richmond.

"This declaration that has been done by Karen is a declaration that we needed to make, but the practical effect of it is to allow the kind of communications which are helpful to both prevent and respond to an outbreak," Kaine said.

Locally, health department officials also held a news conference urging people to be aware of the symptoms of flu and how to prevent spreading the disease.

"I can't emphasize enough the importance of hand-washing," Dr. Stephanie Harper, director of the Alleghany and Roanoke Health Districts, said during a Monday news conference in Roanoke.

She also emphasized the need to treat the potential for swine flu the way people would treat the potential for any type of flu. If you're sick, stay home. If you are coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth, she said.

"We all have a role to play, and the standard flu precautions should really be our guide," Harper said.

The local health department is working with city and county officials in the surrounding areas as well as the two regional hospital systems to ensure that emergency preparedness plans put in place a while ago are up to date and can be followed as the need arises.

"We do multiple drills each year to prepare," Harper said.

Kaine said the state has conducted six exercises to test its preparedness for pandemic flu outbreaks since 2006, when there were international concerns about an outbreak of avian flu.

"We have done extensive preparation in state government," Kaine said.

Physicians and staff with both Carilion Clinic and HCA Southwest Virginia, which includes Lewis-Gale Medical Center, also are working to make sure that they are properly testing patients who have flulike symptoms and that they are prepared to protect their staff from an outbreak.

The CDC's Besser also emphasized the need for everyone from businesses to faith-based organizations and local communities to revisit their emergency preparedness plans.

In Roanoke, Harper said her team is coming up with ways to make sure people are aware of the possibility of swine flu, and what to do to avoid the disease or prevent it from spreading should they become ill. To start, Harper sent a Spanish-language translator to several Latino businesses along Williamson Road on Monday afternoon.

Marisol Aspillaga went to several business armed with copies of the CDC news release written in Spanish to hand out to area business owners.

Ingrid Romero, owner of La Bodeguita Hispana, said she would share the information with her employees and was interested in a shorter version to share with customers.

"It would be nice to have something at the cash register," she said.

Kaine said the state has stored about 770,000 courses of antiviral medication and will receive another 280,000 from the CDC within a week. State officials are communicating with federal authorities and health officials in other states to track reports of the flu outbreak, the governor said.

Swine flu has been responsible for deaths in Mexico, but none of the 40 reported cases in the United States has been fatal.

The governor and the Virginia Department of Health issued a list of standard guidelines to guard against the illness and advised anyone experiencing flulike symptoms to contact a health care provider.

"If you feel like you need medical attention, we're asking first that people call ahead to their health care providers to say why so that the providers can take necessary infection control measures," Kaine said.

Online: www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

sarah.jones@roanoke.com 981-3264

mike.sluss@roanoke.com (804) 697-1585