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| H1N1 INFLUENZA FACTS AND HELPFUL LINKS |
“Swine flu is no cause for alarm, but residents should take sensible
precautions like washing their hands,” said RoAnn Warden, Health
Officer of Health Department. The Green County Department of Health
will continue to vigilantly track swine flu and take any needed measures to
protect the public.
Influenza infections spread from person-to-person when someone
sneezes, coughs or even talks. Occasionally a person may become
infected by touching something with the virus on it and then touching their
mouth or nose.
Green County and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services
recommend the following:
Recently, human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have
been identified in the United States. An investigation and response effort
surrounding the outbreak of swine flu is ongoing. The current number of
cases can be found at the following link:
World Health Organization Web Site
Updates from the CDC:
CDC Guidance - CDC Web Site
Specific areas of Guidance:
Guidance for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women:
Breastfeeding Your Baby: What Parents Should Know
Information for Pregnant Women in Education, Child Care, and Health Care
What Pregnant Women Should Know About H1N1 (formerly called swine flu) virus
Travel Guidance
Travel
Guidance for Cruise Ships
Additional Resources:
Wisconsin Pandemic Flu Website
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) phone line -
1-800-CDC-INFO
Additional Links:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDC Swine Flu and You
Information for Posting:
Preventing the Flu - Poster
Respiratory Poster
Cover Your Cough (English) Poster
Cover Your Cough (Spanish) Poster
___________________________________________________________________
Frequently Asked Questions about Swine Flu
What is swine influenza?
Swine flu is a respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses that
regularly cause outbreaks in pigs. There have been reports of serious
illness and deaths due to swine flu in Mexico, but the recently confirmed
cases in the United States have been mild.
What are the symptoms of swine influenza?
Swine flu symptoms appear to be similar to the symptoms of regular
human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, lethargy,
headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and
vomiting associated with swine flu
How does swine influenza spread?
Swine flu viruses can be directly transmitted between pigs and people.
Human-to-human transmission is also possible, and appears to be
occurring with this outbreak. Spread is mainly through coughing or
sneezing. People may become infected by touching something with flu
viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
Who is at risk for swine influenza?
Anyone who has contact with an infected person may be exposed to swine
flu. Human transmission is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal
flu: through aerosolized particles that are released when an infected
person coughs or sneezes.
How can I protect myself from swine influenza?
Here are the best ways to avoid getting or spreading swine influenza:
What should I do if I have flu-like symptoms?
Anyone experiencing fever, cough or sore throat should stay home from
work or school for at least 7 days, and not return until one to two days
after the symptoms end. Wash your hands frequently. And as always
cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. You do not need
to go to the hospital for mild illness, but anyone with severe symptoms,
such as difficulty breathing, should seek health care and treatment
immediately.
Should I be tested for swine flu?
Knowing you have swine flu will not affect the treatment you receive, but
testing certain affected people can help health authorities track the
spread of the disease. Diagnosis of swine flu requires two sets of
laboratory tests. The Green County Health Department recommends
testing only when people experience severe symptoms or fall sick in
clusters. The laboratory tests require only a nasal swab.
Is there a vaccine for swine flu?
At this time, there is no vaccine for swine flu. The season influenza
vaccine does not provide protection against swine flu. This makes
ordinary precautions, such as covering coughs and washing hands, all
the more important.
If I experience flu symptoms, do I need medication?
The antiviral medicines Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir) can
help alleviate swine flu symptoms, and are particularly important for
people with severe illness or with risk factors for complications from flu.
Groups that are normally at higher risk of complications include young
children, the elderly, and people with chronic illness. Flu patients who
belong to those risk groups should seek treatment. Treatment may also
be appropriate for household members with special risk factors, to help
prevent the infection.
What are the signs of more severe illness with swine flu?
While the current swine influenza cases have been mild so far, infected
individuals should still be aware of some of the more severe illness with
swine flu. If you become ill and experience any of the following warning
signs, seek emergency medical care.
In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention
include:
In adults, symptoms that need emergency medical attention include:
What should I do if someone I live with is sick with flu-like
symptoms?
If the symptoms are severe, the person should see a medical provider. If
the affected person has had close contact with a probable or confirmed
case of swine flu, the provider may suggest testing for swine flu.
What should I do if someone I live with has confirmed swine flu?
Follow the same precautions you would to avoid ordinary seasonal flu:
Limit your contact with the affected person. Avoid close contact
such as kissing, and do not share towels, glasses or toothbrushes
with the affected person. Avoid having visitors. If visitors must
enter the home, they should avoid close contact with the affected
person. Wash your hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-
based hand rub. Consider using a facemask or an N95 respirator.
These can be purchased at a pharmacy or hardware-type store. If
you use a reusable fabric facemask, it should be laundered with
normal laundry detergent and tumble-dried in a hot dryer. Wash
dirty dishes and eating utensils in either a dishwasher or by hand
with warm water and soap. You do not need to separate eating
utensils for use by a patient with influenza. It is fine to do your
laundry in a standard washing machine with warm or cold water
and detergent. It is not necessary to separate the patient’s
laundry.
Can household cleaning help prevent transmission?
Yes. To help prevent transmission, all hard surfaces, such as doorknobs,
refrigerator door handles, telephones, and bathroom surfaces, should be
washed with soap or detergent, rinsed with water and then disinfected and
rinsed. Disinfectants are those with “registered disinfectant” on the label.
If disinfectants are not available, use a chlorine bleach solution made by
adding 1 tablespoon of bleach to a quart (4 cups) of water. Use a cloth to
apply this to surfaces and then rinse them with water. Dispose of the used
bleach solution and mix a fresh solution when repeating the cleaning
process. Use sanitizer cloths to wipe electronic items (phones, computes,
remote controls) that are touched often.
What can I do if my anxiety about the situation feels
overwhelming?
During this time, you may experience more stress than usual, such a
reaction is normal!
If your anxiety feels overwhelming, call the Green County Mental
Health Unit 24 hour/7 days a week. This HELPLINE is staffed by
trained mental health professionals who can be reached by calling
608-328-9383 (8 - 5) and 608-328-9393 (after hours).
Seeking information is healthy, but watching report after report about
swine flu may be distressing, especially for children. Parents should limit
children’s news-watching, watch the news with their children, and talk to
them about the events that are occurring.
I was in Mexico recently. Does that mean I’m at risk?
Not necessarily, but you should pay close attention to your health for the
first 7 days after you return home. If you become sick with a fever and a
cough or sore throat, or you have trouble breathing during this period,
see a doctor. When you make the appointment, tell the doctor your
symptoms, where you traveled, if you have had close contact with a sick
person or farm animals.
Should I send my well children to school?
Yes. So far there have been no school closures in Green County. There
is no reason for anyone else to keep their children at home unless they
are sick.
What is the Green County Health Department doing about the
swine flu outbreaks in other parts of the state?
All of the cases which have occurred in Wisconsin have been mild. Some
family members of ill children have become ill, suggesting that it’s
spreading person to person at this time. We don’t know if this spread will
be sustained.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is closely monitoring health
trends in Wisconsin for evidence of a wider outbreak. Agency officials are
also speaking regularly with all Wisconsin hospitals across the state The
hospitals have not reported evidence of citywide increases in severe lung
infections.
The Green County Health Department and Wisconsin Department of
Health Services are also monitoring hospital and school data for any
cases that may appear to be related.
precautions like washing their hands,” said RoAnn Warden, Health
Officer of Health Department. The Green County Department of Health
will continue to vigilantly track swine flu and take any needed measures to
protect the public.
Influenza infections spread from person-to-person when someone
sneezes, coughs or even talks. Occasionally a person may become
infected by touching something with the virus on it and then touching their
mouth or nose.
Green County and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services
recommend the following:
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water. Alcohol-based
hand cleansers are also effective. - Avoid people who are ill.
- Stay home from work or school if you are sick.
- Use a tissue when you cough, sneeze or spit, and dispose of the
tissue immediately in a covered trash bin. - Keep hands away from your face. Avoid touching your eyes, nose
or mouth. - Clean any shared spaces more often such as phone receivers,
keyboards, steering wheels and office equipment. - Refrain from sharing personal items such as forks, spoons,
toothbrushes and towels. - It is recommended that you contact your health care provider if you
become ill with high fever (more than 100 degrees) severe
headache, body aches or pains, fatigue, cough, and/or runny nose.
Recently, human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have
been identified in the United States. An investigation and response effort
surrounding the outbreak of swine flu is ongoing. The current number of
cases can be found at the following link:
World Health Organization Web Site
Updates from the CDC:
CDC Guidance - CDC Web Site
Specific areas of Guidance:
Guidance for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women:
Breastfeeding Your Baby: What Parents Should Know
Information for Pregnant Women in Education, Child Care, and Health Care
What Pregnant Women Should Know About H1N1 (formerly called swine flu) virus
Travel Guidance
Travel
Guidance for Cruise Ships
Additional Resources:
Wisconsin Pandemic Flu Website
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) phone line -
1-800-CDC-INFO
Additional Links:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDC Swine Flu and You
Information for Posting:
Preventing the Flu - Poster
Respiratory Poster
Cover Your Cough (English) Poster
Cover Your Cough (Spanish) Poster
___________________________________________________________________
Frequently Asked Questions about Swine Flu
What is swine influenza?
Swine flu is a respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses that
regularly cause outbreaks in pigs. There have been reports of serious
illness and deaths due to swine flu in Mexico, but the recently confirmed
cases in the United States have been mild.
What are the symptoms of swine influenza?
Swine flu symptoms appear to be similar to the symptoms of regular
human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, lethargy,
headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and
vomiting associated with swine flu
How does swine influenza spread?
Swine flu viruses can be directly transmitted between pigs and people.
Human-to-human transmission is also possible, and appears to be
occurring with this outbreak. Spread is mainly through coughing or
sneezing. People may become infected by touching something with flu
viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
Who is at risk for swine influenza?
Anyone who has contact with an infected person may be exposed to swine
flu. Human transmission is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal
flu: through aerosolized particles that are released when an infected
person coughs or sneezes.
How can I protect myself from swine influenza?
Here are the best ways to avoid getting or spreading swine influenza:
- Encourage all people to cover their mouth and nose when
they cough or sneeze. - Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after
you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also
effective. - Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you get sick, limit contact with others to avoid infecting
them. - These are the same protections as those for seasonal flu
and many other respiratory infections.
What should I do if I have flu-like symptoms?
Anyone experiencing fever, cough or sore throat should stay home from
work or school for at least 7 days, and not return until one to two days
after the symptoms end. Wash your hands frequently. And as always
cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. You do not need
to go to the hospital for mild illness, but anyone with severe symptoms,
such as difficulty breathing, should seek health care and treatment
immediately.
Should I be tested for swine flu?
Knowing you have swine flu will not affect the treatment you receive, but
testing certain affected people can help health authorities track the
spread of the disease. Diagnosis of swine flu requires two sets of
laboratory tests. The Green County Health Department recommends
testing only when people experience severe symptoms or fall sick in
clusters. The laboratory tests require only a nasal swab.
Is there a vaccine for swine flu?
At this time, there is no vaccine for swine flu. The season influenza
vaccine does not provide protection against swine flu. This makes
ordinary precautions, such as covering coughs and washing hands, all
the more important.
If I experience flu symptoms, do I need medication?
The antiviral medicines Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir) can
help alleviate swine flu symptoms, and are particularly important for
people with severe illness or with risk factors for complications from flu.
Groups that are normally at higher risk of complications include young
children, the elderly, and people with chronic illness. Flu patients who
belong to those risk groups should seek treatment. Treatment may also
be appropriate for household members with special risk factors, to help
prevent the infection.
What are the signs of more severe illness with swine flu?
While the current swine influenza cases have been mild so far, infected
individuals should still be aware of some of the more severe illness with
swine flu. If you become ill and experience any of the following warning
signs, seek emergency medical care.
In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention
include:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and
worse cough - Fever with a rash
In adults, symptoms that need emergency medical attention include:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
What should I do if someone I live with is sick with flu-like
symptoms?
If the symptoms are severe, the person should see a medical provider. If
the affected person has had close contact with a probable or confirmed
case of swine flu, the provider may suggest testing for swine flu.
What should I do if someone I live with has confirmed swine flu?
Follow the same precautions you would to avoid ordinary seasonal flu:
Limit your contact with the affected person. Avoid close contact
such as kissing, and do not share towels, glasses or toothbrushes
with the affected person. Avoid having visitors. If visitors must
enter the home, they should avoid close contact with the affected
person. Wash your hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-
based hand rub. Consider using a facemask or an N95 respirator.
These can be purchased at a pharmacy or hardware-type store. If
you use a reusable fabric facemask, it should be laundered with
normal laundry detergent and tumble-dried in a hot dryer. Wash
dirty dishes and eating utensils in either a dishwasher or by hand
with warm water and soap. You do not need to separate eating
utensils for use by a patient with influenza. It is fine to do your
laundry in a standard washing machine with warm or cold water
and detergent. It is not necessary to separate the patient’s
laundry.
Can household cleaning help prevent transmission?
Yes. To help prevent transmission, all hard surfaces, such as doorknobs,
refrigerator door handles, telephones, and bathroom surfaces, should be
washed with soap or detergent, rinsed with water and then disinfected and
rinsed. Disinfectants are those with “registered disinfectant” on the label.
If disinfectants are not available, use a chlorine bleach solution made by
adding 1 tablespoon of bleach to a quart (4 cups) of water. Use a cloth to
apply this to surfaces and then rinse them with water. Dispose of the used
bleach solution and mix a fresh solution when repeating the cleaning
process. Use sanitizer cloths to wipe electronic items (phones, computes,
remote controls) that are touched often.
What can I do if my anxiety about the situation feels
overwhelming?
During this time, you may experience more stress than usual, such a
reaction is normal!
If your anxiety feels overwhelming, call the Green County Mental
Health Unit 24 hour/7 days a week. This HELPLINE is staffed by
trained mental health professionals who can be reached by calling
608-328-9383 (8 - 5) and 608-328-9393 (after hours).
Seeking information is healthy, but watching report after report about
swine flu may be distressing, especially for children. Parents should limit
children’s news-watching, watch the news with their children, and talk to
them about the events that are occurring.
I was in Mexico recently. Does that mean I’m at risk?
Not necessarily, but you should pay close attention to your health for the
first 7 days after you return home. If you become sick with a fever and a
cough or sore throat, or you have trouble breathing during this period,
see a doctor. When you make the appointment, tell the doctor your
symptoms, where you traveled, if you have had close contact with a sick
person or farm animals.
Should I send my well children to school?
Yes. So far there have been no school closures in Green County. There
is no reason for anyone else to keep their children at home unless they
are sick.
What is the Green County Health Department doing about the
swine flu outbreaks in other parts of the state?
All of the cases which have occurred in Wisconsin have been mild. Some
family members of ill children have become ill, suggesting that it’s
spreading person to person at this time. We don’t know if this spread will
be sustained.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is closely monitoring health
trends in Wisconsin for evidence of a wider outbreak. Agency officials are
also speaking regularly with all Wisconsin hospitals across the state The
hospitals have not reported evidence of citywide increases in severe lung
infections.
The Green County Health Department and Wisconsin Department of
Health Services are also monitoring hospital and school data for any
cases that may appear to be related.
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