3 cases of swine flu suspected
It was confirmed Wednesday that up to three students at Syracuse University have symptoms consistent with the case definition of the H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as swine flu.
James Jacobs, director of Health Services, said the students have been advised to socially isolate themselves.
None of the students were specifically tested for H1N1, but Jacobs said that confirmation testing is only done by the state of New York on selected cases – primarily hospitalized patients.
Due to the lack of testing for H1N1, the diagnosis is based on a patient’s symptoms and the results of a rapid flu test available at Health Services, he said.
There has been more hype over H1N1 this fall across the country than in the past semester. Jacobs explained that the natural progression of a pandemic virus is the cause of heightened concern.
‘Pandemic viruses have typically appeared in the spring, gone to the southern hemisphere in the summer, and back to the northern hemisphere with much more impact during the fall,’ he said.
Jacobs said the H1N1 vaccine will be available to students at no charge as soon as it is delivered to Health Services this fall, but there is not a confirmed date.
‘We have extensive plans for the H1N1 vaccine if we get any vaccines, when we get vaccines. But that is completely dependent on the federal government,’ he said.
While waiting on the free H1N1 vaccine, SU Health Services will have the regular flu vaccine available starting next week.
If any other students exhibit symptoms of the H1N1 virus, they should contact Health Services, and stay home for 24 hours after their fever has broken, Jacobs said.
Though this is the first SU has seen of the virus, other universities have already had an influx of confirmed cases.
‘Compared to other schools, we’re seeing nothing,’ Jacobs said.
The university plans to continue monitoring symptoms of the seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus throughout the fall semester, according to SU’s H1N1 prevention Web site.
Published on September 2, 2009 at 12:00 pm
