May 4, 2009 7:34 am US/Pacific
Riverside Confirms First 2 Cases Of Swine Flu
LONG BEACH, Calif. (CBS) ―
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DNA test kits of the the influenza A (H1N1) or Swine Flu virus prepared by PrimerDesign Ltd are displayed at the company laboratory in Southampton on May 2, 2009.
Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images
State public health officials have confirmed the first two cases of swine flu in Riverside County, from a total of eight probable cases reported in the past week, county spokeswoman Lys Mendez said.
County officials were unable to provide the age, gender and hometown for the two confirmed patients, Mendez said.
The eight probable cases in Riverside County had tested positive for a strand of influenza that is a strong indicator of swine flu, Riverside County Public Health Officer Eric Frykman said in a statement.
Confirmation is needed from state public health officials before each case can be determined to be the H1NI, formally known as swine flu, according to Frykman.
The county requested state health lab testing of samples from about 100 people since Monday, including the eight probable cases, officials said over the weekend.
In anticipation that the remaining six probable cases will be confirmed, county recommended residents stay home if they have flu-like symptoms.
They urged everyone to exercise common-sense hygiene, which includes washing hands frequently, covering nose and mouth with tissue when coughing or sneezing, and otherwise avoid touching nose, eyes and mouth.
In Riverside County, four schools were closed as a precaution due to probable cases of swine flu, according to county public health officials.
- Mission Bell Elementary School in Riverside, where a 5-year-old girl was probable is closed until May 13.
- Indio High School, where a 17-year-old girl was probable for swine flu, is closed until May 13.
- Lee V. Pollard High School in Corona, where a 16-year-old girl was probable, is closed until May 13.
- Della Lindley Elementary School in Thousand Palms, where a 10-year- old girl who had recently traveled to Mexico was identified as a probable case, is closed until May 14.
The other cases identified as probable include a 21-year-old Wildomar woman who was not hospitalized; a 60-year-old Corona woman who was treated and released from a local hospital; an 87-year-old woman who had recently traveled to Baja California and was visiting family in Riverside; and a 31-year-old man whose hometown was not disclosed.
Riverside County has opened a hotline, which can be reached at
(951) 955-2000, for individuals seeking more information about swine flu or to report possible cases.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
CDC: Swine Flu Facts, Symptoms And Information
CBS News Interactive: Swine Flu
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