County Declares Local Health Emergency
Both Imperial county and San Diego county have declared local health emergencies in preparation for dealing with a large scale outbreak of swine flu in the region.
The World Health Organization has raised the influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to 5. The highest warning level is six. This change in status is a signal to countries around the world to begin preparing for a pandemic situation, with emphasis on more surveillance, efforts at early detection, and stringent infection control measures at health facilities.
Officials from both counties made the announcement yesterday.
The action will allow both counties more leeway in dealing with the outbreak. It will also open up access to more state and federal funds to help battle the disease.
There are now five confirmed cases of the disease in Imperial county and eight confirmed cases in San Diego county.
“It is important for Imperial County residents to know that we are aggressively addressing swine flu in Imperial County,” Wally Leimgruber, Chairman of the Imperial County Board of Supervisors said in a prepared statement. “This declaration is strictly precautionary and will allow the County to recover local costs associated with the swine influenza situation. We continue to work closely with federal and state agencies as well as our neighboring counties to ensure that all appropriate measures are being taken.”
The steps taken by San Diego county and Imperial county come as the World Health Organization has raised the influenza pandemic alert from phase four to phase five. The highest warning level is six. This change in status is a signal to countries around the world to begin preparing for a pandemic situation, with emphasis on more surveillance, efforts at early detection, and stringent infection control measures at health facilities.
To view the WHO Web site, click HERE
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning advising against any non-essential travel to the country of Mexico, where officials believe the virus may have crossed over from swine to humans, and where the earliest cases were reported. It has also advised anyone who does have to travel to Mexico who has a high risk for severe illness from influenza (such as persons with chronic conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, or the elderly) to take antiviral medications while they are traveling.
For the latest information on the swine flu investigation, and a list of swine flu symptoms from the Center for Disease Control, Click HERE
Dr. Mohammed Al-Jasim, the Infectious Disease Consultant for Imperial county and an infectious disease specialist, indicated that people who don't have access to a health care provider due to a lack of insurance still have options for treatment if the feel they have symptoms of the disease.
“The issue here is most of these people even if they don't have any care provider, they will get care in emergency rooms, so they are not completely without any resources,” Dr. Al-Jasim said. “They (the Center for Disease Control and Prevention) are working on a vaccine now, so when it is vaccine time, vaccination is essential of course.”
He added that so far the disease doesn't appear to be much different than other strains of flu virus.
“What we've been seeing is so far, it is not behaving any worse than a regular flu,” Dr. Al-Jasim said.
Health officials say if an individual is exhibiting symptoms of the disease, they should take the following precautions:
- Stay at home to avoid spreading the disease.
- Cover the mouth and nose when sneezing, and safely dispose of used tissues.
- Wash hand thoroughly and often with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Get rest, eat a balanced diet, and make sure to drink an adequate amount of water.
Members from the public who have questions related to swine influenza can call the Imperial County Department of Public Health at 760-482-4968.
To view the Imperial County Department of Public Health Web site, Click HERE