Community alerted of swine flu
The H1N1 influenza spreads to approximately one case in MO
Jeromy Layman
Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: News
In response to several questions regarding the increasing number of reported cases of the Influenza A virus subtype H1N1, more commonly known as the swine flu, Drury has made an effort of keep students informed regarding the disease.
In an email sent out by Dr. Tijuana Julian late last week, the university expressed its concerns that the virus did pose a threat to students traveling abroad in the summer trip to Tlaquepaque, Mexico, which was scheduled to leave in May. This, paired with the U.S. Department of State issuing a travel alert, has resulted in the cancellation of the Mexico trip.
Closer to home are the cases of swine flu which have been reported in the United States. A case was diagnosed over the weekend in Platte County in the metropolitan area of Kansas City, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The woman confirmed that she had traveled to Mexico in recent months and it was later confirmed that she contracted the disease there. The Center for Disease Control, since the confirmed diagnosis, has issued additional medical supplies and antiviral medications to every county in the state.
The disease, which normally does not infect humans and before this year's outbreak in the U.S. was limited to one or two cases every few years, is similar to seasonal influenza and can be transmitted through coughing or sneezing or close contact with people who are infected.
Symptoms of the swine flu include: fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
For local information, the Public Health Information Line has recorded public information regarding swine flu as well as prevention tips while also putting up a swine flu webpage that has been linked from the Springfield government Web site.
The university is also making an effort to create a sanitary environment in high traffic areas like the computer labs.
Dr. Robin Schraft, director of academic computing, sent out an email informing students that technology services is "aggressively cleaning the contact surfaces in the computer labs." With that, there are sanitary wipes available in each lab on campus.
At press time there had been no reported cases of the swine flu that had reached Greene County, however students are advised to take preventative measures to ensure that it remains so.
In an email sent out by Dr. Tijuana Julian late last week, the university expressed its concerns that the virus did pose a threat to students traveling abroad in the summer trip to Tlaquepaque, Mexico, which was scheduled to leave in May. This, paired with the U.S. Department of State issuing a travel alert, has resulted in the cancellation of the Mexico trip.
Closer to home are the cases of swine flu which have been reported in the United States. A case was diagnosed over the weekend in Platte County in the metropolitan area of Kansas City, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The woman confirmed that she had traveled to Mexico in recent months and it was later confirmed that she contracted the disease there. The Center for Disease Control, since the confirmed diagnosis, has issued additional medical supplies and antiviral medications to every county in the state.
The disease, which normally does not infect humans and before this year's outbreak in the U.S. was limited to one or two cases every few years, is similar to seasonal influenza and can be transmitted through coughing or sneezing or close contact with people who are infected.
Symptoms of the swine flu include: fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
For local information, the Public Health Information Line has recorded public information regarding swine flu as well as prevention tips while also putting up a swine flu webpage that has been linked from the Springfield government Web site.
The university is also making an effort to create a sanitary environment in high traffic areas like the computer labs.
Dr. Robin Schraft, director of academic computing, sent out an email informing students that technology services is "aggressively cleaning the contact surfaces in the computer labs." With that, there are sanitary wipes available in each lab on campus.
At press time there had been no reported cases of the swine flu that had reached Greene County, however students are advised to take preventative measures to ensure that it remains so.
Article last update: 5/5/09 at 7:29 PM CST
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