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- May 9, 2007
SMITHFIELD - Swine flu has made it to Virginia. Two patients tested positive, the state Department of Health announced late Thursday.
An eastern Virginia man and a central Virginia woman were the first two to be confirmed for the virus in the state. Neither of them were students.
That likely won't be the end of it, State Health Commissioner Karen Remley said in a news release.
She expects there will be more cases, given the state's large population, seasonal travel patterns and how easily the flu virus is spread.
[h4]Related links[/h4] Both patients had traveled to Mexico, had mild illnesses and are recovering well. They didn't require hospitalization.
The outbreak is being called H1N1 influenza. It's made up of a mix of human, avian and swine flu types. It was first detected in Mexico and has sincespread to the U.S. So far, it has claimed about 160 lives in Mexico and one in the U.S.
Smithfield Foods, which operates a joint-venture hog operation in Veracruz, Mexico, has come under fire since the outbreak came to light.Some reports pinpointed the initial outbreak to a little boy in La Gloria, a town close to the farm. Mexican health authorities, working with U.S. healthofficials, found no evidence of swine flu in pigs at the farm, the company's president and CEO, C. Larry Pope, said in a letter to employees.
Pope said the Smithfield-based company has since run additional tests on pigs in Veracruz, and those results should be availablein a few days.
A lot about the virus remains a mystery, including whether it's deadlier than seasonal flu.
"It's early to know what exactly this virus is going to look like in its severity," said Dr. Mark Levine, state Department of Health deputycommissioner of emergency preparedness. "We're preparing just in case it gets worse."
The Virginia Department of Health launched an information line Thursday to answer questions about swine flu. The phone lines helped about 750 callers Thursdayand will be open Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The number is 1-877-ASK-VDH3 (1-877-275-8343).
The state will have about 1 million courses - or five-day supplies - of antiviral medications once all federal shipments are in. The anti-virals will shortenthe duration of infection by a day or two and alleviate symptoms, Levine said.
In his letter to Smithfield Foods employees, Pope sought to quell speculation by media outlets and bloggers who have "sensationalized a seriousillness."
Pope said that all of the company's herds, including joint ventures in Mexico and elsewhere, are regularly tested for influenza and other diseases androutinely vaccinated against flu. Monthly tests look for the presence and identity of different flu strains, he said.
"At no point have any of these tests revealed this strain of the influenza virus in our herds in any country where our company operates," Pope said.
Smithfield Foods is "cooperating fully" with health officials and "have allowed exhaustive testing" voluntarily to ensure the virus has notaffected its farms, Pope said.
my cousin use to work there in the Smithfield meat plant but was fired a couple months ago
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_swineflu_0501may01,0,6321387.story
An eastern Virginia man and a central Virginia woman were the first two to be confirmed for the virus in the state. Neither of them were students.
That likely won't be the end of it, State Health Commissioner Karen Remley said in a news release.
She expects there will be more cases, given the state's large population, seasonal travel patterns and how easily the flu virus is spread.
[h4]Related links[/h4] Both patients had traveled to Mexico, had mild illnesses and are recovering well. They didn't require hospitalization.
The outbreak is being called H1N1 influenza. It's made up of a mix of human, avian and swine flu types. It was first detected in Mexico and has sincespread to the U.S. So far, it has claimed about 160 lives in Mexico and one in the U.S.
Smithfield Foods, which operates a joint-venture hog operation in Veracruz, Mexico, has come under fire since the outbreak came to light.Some reports pinpointed the initial outbreak to a little boy in La Gloria, a town close to the farm. Mexican health authorities, working with U.S. healthofficials, found no evidence of swine flu in pigs at the farm, the company's president and CEO, C. Larry Pope, said in a letter to employees.
Pope said the Smithfield-based company has since run additional tests on pigs in Veracruz, and those results should be availablein a few days.
A lot about the virus remains a mystery, including whether it's deadlier than seasonal flu.
"It's early to know what exactly this virus is going to look like in its severity," said Dr. Mark Levine, state Department of Health deputycommissioner of emergency preparedness. "We're preparing just in case it gets worse."
The Virginia Department of Health launched an information line Thursday to answer questions about swine flu. The phone lines helped about 750 callers Thursdayand will be open Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The number is 1-877-ASK-VDH3 (1-877-275-8343).
The state will have about 1 million courses - or five-day supplies - of antiviral medications once all federal shipments are in. The anti-virals will shortenthe duration of infection by a day or two and alleviate symptoms, Levine said.
In his letter to Smithfield Foods employees, Pope sought to quell speculation by media outlets and bloggers who have "sensationalized a seriousillness."
Pope said that all of the company's herds, including joint ventures in Mexico and elsewhere, are regularly tested for influenza and other diseases androutinely vaccinated against flu. Monthly tests look for the presence and identity of different flu strains, he said.
"At no point have any of these tests revealed this strain of the influenza virus in our herds in any country where our company operates," Pope said.
Smithfield Foods is "cooperating fully" with health officials and "have allowed exhaustive testing" voluntarily to ensure the virus has notaffected its farms, Pope said.
my cousin use to work there in the Smithfield meat plant but was fired a couple months ago
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_swineflu_0501may01,0,6321387.story
