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| No swine flu in Wayne Co. so far |
| By BILL ENGLE - Palladiom Item |
| Published: 05/01/2009 |
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The one test done on a county resident, who showed mild flu symptoms and had recently returned from Mexico, came back negative, said Wayne County officials Thursday. That test was done Monday at Reid Hospital and sent to the Indiana Health Department lab Tuesday. Two other tests sent to the state health department lab Wednesday have still not come back, said county health department director Eric Coulter. "The lab has contacted us and they are expediting the results," Coulter said. "We hope to get the results back (today)." Health department officials initially said three tests were sent to the state lab Wednesday, but said one of the tests was not considered to be the flu and was not sent. Coulter said no testing was done today on residents with flu symptoms. "We'll see what happens tomorrow, but we hope this thing slows down," he said. Meanwhile, Wayne County Sheriff Matt Strittmatter announced Thursday that he was suspending visitation to the Wayne County Jail for at least two weeks starting Saturday because of fears of potentially spreading swine flu. "I'm doing this solely in the interest of public health and safety," Strittmatter said. "I'm doing this to protect the health of our offenders and our jail staff as a precaution in this time of uncertainty. "As a community leader I believe this is reasonable. I believe I have to do what's in the best interest of public health and safety," he said. The Indiana Department of Corrections also announced Thursday that it has canceled offender visits at all adult and juvenile facilities in the state because of heightened public health concerns related to the H1N1 influenza virus, known worldwide as swine flu. In a statement on the DOC Web site Thursday, officials said there are no known cases of swine flue in the DOC system and that the decision to halt visitation will be reviewed weekly after consulting with medical and public health officials. Strittmatter said he made his decision because those visiting the jail use telephone handsets to talk to those they are visiting. "If someone were presenting symptoms and not aware of it they could expose other members of the community and not know it," he said. He said attorney and clergy visits to the jail would still be allowed but would be adjusted to maintain safety and privacy. The Wayne County Health Department has taken the lead on health issues in regards to swine flu while the county's Emergency Management Agency has taken the lead in disseminating information from the national Centers for Disease Control. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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