BURLINGTON COUNTY: County alert for flu cases

Health officials advise hygiene to prevent spread

By Geoffrey Wertime, Staff Writer
   Area residents are being advised to mind their hygiene and watch out for possible symptoms of swine flu.
   As of Wednesday, five cases in the state were awaiting confirmatory testing, with results expected by today, Thursday, according to the state Department of Health and Senior Services. Nationally, 64 cases had been confirmed, 45 of them in New York state, as of Wednesday. At press time Wednesday, the U.S. had seen one death from the disease, in Houston, Texas.
   Robert Gogats, health officer for Burlington County, said Monday the department is on alert for possible infections in the area.
   ”We are working closely with state and federal officials to monitor the situation. We are requesting when doctors examine patients with febrile influenza-like illness, they should collect a specimen for testing,” he said.
   ”The illness that we are seeing in the United States currently is not severe. There is the possibility that we will see severe illness in the future, and we want Burlington County to be prepared.”
   Swine flu is a respiratory disease in pigs that is not usually seen in humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
   This form of influenza is thought to be spread the same way as other flus, mainly through the coughs and sneezes of those who are infected. Transmission also can occur when someone touches an infected surface and then touches their mouth or nose.
   Symptoms of the disease are similar to those of seasonal flu, according to the county Health Department, and include: fever greater than 100 degrees, coughing, sore throat, chills, headache and body aches, fatigue, respiratory congestion and, in some cases, diarrhea and vomiting.
   The department said those with respiratory illnesses should stay home to avoid spreading infections.
   Residents are advised to avoid close contact with people who cough or appear ill; avoid touching their own eyes, nose or mouth; and wash their hands frequently.
   Those over age 65 and anyone with a chronic condition are advised to get a pneumonia shot.
   Local schools are also taking measures to maintain hygiene. In Florence, for example, Superintendent Louis Talarico said school custodians have been instructed to disinfect common surfaces as part of the district’s protocol for this type of event. The district, he said, is in touch with both the county Health Services and the county Executive Superintendent’s Office, and that information on hygiene and prevention has been disseminated to district employees and posted online.
   For more information, visit www.co.burlington.nj.us or www.nj.gov/health/er/swineflu.