Saturday, June 13, 2009
Number of Virginia swine-flu cases rises as expected
Cases of the swine flu continue to climb in Virginia -- and that's pretty much what experts expect.
Across the state, 90 cases of the flu have been reported, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday.
That's up from the 84 cases reported Wednesday in the last update from the state Department of Health.
The numbers are conservative, as many people with the flu don't see a doctor or get tested, officials say.
''In reality, it's throughout the community," said Tim Powell, an epidemiologist with the health department. "Wash your hands a lot."
Updated numbers by health districts were not available yesterday. But Powell said the virus is "progressing somewhat as expected. We anticipated seeing more cases as the virus is transmitted through the community, and that's occurring."
The swine flu -- technically called the influenza A (H1N1) virus -- is not considered more severe than regular seasonal flu.
Still, any flu can be serious. Seasonal flu and its complications kill about 36,000 people a year in the U.S.
School officials in the city of Richmond and Henrico and Hanover counties said yesterday that they had seen no new flu cases.
This week, one pupil at William Fox Elementary School in Richmond and one at Pole Green Elementary School in Hanover were reported to have the virus. Individual cases were reported this week in Henrico at Deep Run High School, Laburnum and Jackson Davis elementary schools, and Short Pump and Brookland middle schools.
Chesterfield County schools have reported no cases, but some youths at the state-run Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center had the flu.
The World Health Organization said Thursday that the H1N1 flu had reached the pandemic stage. That reflects the global spread of the virus, not its severity.
More than 17,800 cases and 45 deaths -- including one in Virginia -- have been reported nationwide.
Across the state, 90 cases of the flu have been reported, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday.
That's up from the 84 cases reported Wednesday in the last update from the state Department of Health.
The numbers are conservative, as many people with the flu don't see a doctor or get tested, officials say.
''In reality, it's throughout the community," said Tim Powell, an epidemiologist with the health department. "Wash your hands a lot."
Updated numbers by health districts were not available yesterday. But Powell said the virus is "progressing somewhat as expected. We anticipated seeing more cases as the virus is transmitted through the community, and that's occurring."
The swine flu -- technically called the influenza A (H1N1) virus -- is not considered more severe than regular seasonal flu.
Still, any flu can be serious. Seasonal flu and its complications kill about 36,000 people a year in the U.S.
School officials in the city of Richmond and Henrico and Hanover counties said yesterday that they had seen no new flu cases.
This week, one pupil at William Fox Elementary School in Richmond and one at Pole Green Elementary School in Hanover were reported to have the virus. Individual cases were reported this week in Henrico at Deep Run High School, Laburnum and Jackson Davis elementary schools, and Short Pump and Brookland middle schools.
Chesterfield County schools have reported no cases, but some youths at the state-run Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center had the flu.
The World Health Organization said Thursday that the H1N1 flu had reached the pandemic stage. That reflects the global spread of the virus, not its severity.
More than 17,800 cases and 45 deaths -- including one in Virginia -- have been reported nationwide.
