Two More H1N1 Cases Confirmed in McDonough County

Two more individuals have tested positive for the H1N1 virus in McDonough County. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health there is a total of 1,357 H1N1 cases with in Illinois as of June 5, 2009.

The McDonough County Health Department and McDonough District Hospital are continuing their efforts in combating the H1N1 virus. The two agencies are working together to monitor the situation, provide education to residents, and continue their surveillance efforts of the H1N1 virus.

Amy McCallister, Public Information Officer, for the McDonough County Health Department states that “We are continuing to monitor the H1N1 situation within McDonough County. We are working closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to continue to update the community with H1N1 information as we receive it. For the latest up-to-date information about H1N1 virus go to the McDonough County Health Department’s website www.mchdept.com and click on the H1N1 link.”

The health department and the hospital would like to remind the community to continue to follow the precautions for H1N1which include the following:

To stay healthy, follow the three C’s:

• Clean – properly wash your hands frequently

• Cover – cover your cough and sneeze

• Contain – contain your germs by staying home if you are sick

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Symptoms of swine flu are similar to regular human flu and include:

Some people also have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with the H1N1 virus.

If a person has flu-like symptoms they should stay home and contact their medical provider.

The McDonough County Health Department and McDonough District Hospital will continue their efforts with H1N1 surveillance and will notify the community of any changes.