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Colorado Prepares For Possible Swine Flu Cases

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Apr 26, 2009 9:35 pm US/Mountain

Colorado Prepares For Possible Swine Flu Cases

DENVER (AP) ― Gov. Bill Ritter has asked the federal government to send antiviral drugs and masks to Colorado so the state will be ready for a possible outbreak of swine flu.

As of Sunday, the state had no confirmed cases of the illness that appears to have killed dozens of people in Mexico and has turned up in five states in the U.S., Ritter said.

Still, he and state health officials suggested that anyone with flu symptoms stay home to avoid spreading illness at the office, school or day care. Health officials were considering distributing fliers at Denver International Airport to travelers returning from Mexico to warn them of symptoms, similar to previous efforts in response to SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, said Dr. Ned Calonge, chief medical officer for the state health department.

Denver Public Schools spokesman Alex Sanchez said Monday officials aren't scrubbing down desks or taking any other extra steps.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment opened its emergency operations center, and a phone line was set up to answer people's questions, beginning Monday.

Calonge said it might be prudent to postpone travel plans to Mexico, but no travel advisories have been issued.

''This is a matter of being prepared but not overwrought,'' Ritter said.

The U.S. declared a public health emergency so it could ship roughly 12 million doses of flu-fighting medications from a federal stockpile to states in case they need them, but each of the 20 confirmed cases in the U.S., in California, Kansas, New York, Ohio and Texas, appeared mild.

Symptoms are similar to those of regular human season flu, such as a high fever, lack of appetite, lethargy and coughing.

Calonge said the situation was evolving, and he wouldn't be surprised if the illness eventually spreads to Colorado. Still, the season for regular flu has been winding down, and hospital officials have not reported any uptick in activity that would make them suspect A/H1N1 swine flu, Calonge said.

Questions?

Coloradans can call state health officials at 1-877-462-2911 with questions about the swine flu.

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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