Samples from East Haddam Cases Come Back Negative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE             CONTACT: Chris Cooper, 860-524-7313

April 30, 2009                                                           chris.cooper@ct.gov 

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that the state Department of Health has identified two students at Fairfield University as probable for swine flu.  Governor Rell advised mayors and school superintendents of the test results in a conference call this morning.  The Governor also announced during the conference call that two cases in East Haddam came back negative for swine flu.

Testing done at the DPH Laboratory on samples from two students at Fairfield University determined that the Influenza A virus isolated is non-subtypeable, which means that these cases are not regular seasonal influenza viruses.  Neither one of the cases reported recent travel.  This brings the total number of probable cases in Connecticut to five.  All of the individuals are recovering and did not require hospitalization.

The samples from the Fairfield University students have been submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to confirm if they are positive for swine flu.  DPH is still awaiting results from the CDC to confirm if the three probable cases announced previously are swine flu.  No confirmed cases have been identified in Connecticut.

The two students in East Haddam who tested negative for swine flu had recently returned from travel in Mexico. East Haddam schools, which had been closed as a precaution, will re-open on Friday May 1.

Governor Rell’s conference call this morning with Connecticut school superintendents was conducted in order to educate them about swine flu and update them on the steps the state has taken to deal with the illness. A similar call is scheduled this afternoon for fire and police chiefs and municipal officials from around the state.

“Sharing current information with our local officials is one of the best ways to ensure that all of Connecticut’s communities are prepared for the swine flu,” Governor Rell said.  “We know there are precautions we can take to avoid contracting the illness and that there are effective antiviral medications to treat symptoms if it is contracted.

“In Connecticut, we have undertaken comprehensive pandemic planning over the past several years,” the Governor said. “Our state agencies are well-prepared, we have distributed antiviral treatment courses to our health care providers and we are keeping the lines of communication open with local officials.  The bottom line is that we are taking all appropriate steps to deal with the illness.”

Governor M. Jodi Rell announced Wednesday that the state was distributing 9,152 treatment courses of antiviral medication to the state’s 31 acute-care hospitals. The 10-day treatment courses are coming from the state’s existing stockpile of more than 11,000 courses. The Governor has also requested the delivery of more than 130,000 additional treatment courses from the federal Strategic National Stockpile.

The DPH is asking residents to take precautions to prevent getting the flu or spreading it by staying home from work or school if they are sick, washing their hands frequently, and coughing into their sleeve or a tissue. 

People who become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, may want to call their health care provider, particularly if they are worried about their symptoms.  Their health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.  People who are experiencing emergency warning signs should immediately contact their health care provider.

For more information on swine flu:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov
• Connecticut Flu Watch: www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch/swineflu
• Connecticut Department of Public Health: www.ct.gov/dph
• Call 2-1-1

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