With the number of swine flu cases continuing to rise both nationally and internationally, the federal government is sending flu-fighting medications to states across the nation, including enough to treat up to 230,000 people in Washington.
Federal officials said Monday that they are preparing in case the virus triggers a worldwide epidemic.
Checks of people entering the country are being stepped up, looking for symptoms of swine flu.
And federal officials said people should avoid nonessential travel to Mexico, the country hardest-hit by the virus. Suspected deaths from the disease there rose to 149 on Monday with nearly 2,000 people believed to be infected.
In Washington, no swine flu cases have been confirmed so far. But Gov. Chris Gregoire announced Monday that anti-viral medications are on their way.
“We have no reason to believe right now that we will use it,” she said. “But we want it readily available in case it becomes necessary.”
The anti-viral can lessen the symptoms of the flu and works best if given within 48 hours of when the symptoms began.
There’s no reason for people to panic over swine flu, she said, “but we all need to be vigilant.”
The state is stepping up testing of people with flu-like symptoms who have recently been to areas where swine flu cases have been confirmed, including Mexico.
There are two broad categories of flu, Type A and Type B. Since swine flu is Type A, “we’re asking labs to send us every positive Type A,” said Tim Church, a state Department of Health spokesman.
Additional tests will be done to check for swine flu.
Nationally, 48 cases have been confirmed, with more than half of those — 28 — in New York. Eleven were in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio. No deaths have been reported and most patients have recovered.
On Monday, The Everett Clinic treated several people with flu-like symptoms who had recently traveled to Mexico, said Dr. Yuan-Po Tu, who tracks influenza issues for the health care organization.
It’s still unclear whether a quick test for flu, which some medical clinics can perform on-site, can detect this new type of influenza, Tu said. Flu vaccines given in the fall will likely not protect against swine flu.
Since the disease is spreading at a time when the typical seasonal flu is still around, it’s possible that a fever and other flu-like symptoms could be of a different strain than swine flu.
Any patient who has recently traveled to an area where swine flu cases have been reported, now has flu-like symptoms, and wants to be examined at a clinic should call ahead before going to a medical appointment, he said.
That way, medical clinics can arrange to have the potentially infected patient quickly taken to a separate exam area to reduce the possibility of infecting others, Tu said.
These patients should also wear a medical mask to the appointment if at all possible, since the swine flu, like all flu viruses, is most often spread by coughing, sneezing or shaking hands with a person who has the virus, he said.
Tu said he thinks “it’s just a matter of time” before the virus hits Washington. “It may be this spring or maybe next winter, unless the disease burns itself out,” he said.
But so far, this new type of swine flu, a hybrid mixture of pig, bird and human viruses, doesn’t appear to be as deadly as the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 and 1919, he said. That pandemic killed up to 50 million people worldwide.
Nevertheless, the swine flu virus has continued its global spread, with some health officials saying it may be impossible to contain.
Worldwide, there are 73 cases outside Mexico, including six in Canada, one in Spain and two in Scotland.
New Zealand has 13 suspected cases, and France and Israel both said they have a suspected case as well.
Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan said they would quarantine visitors showing symptoms of the virus.
In Malaysia, health workers in face masks took the temperatures of passengers as they arrived on a flight from Los Angeles.
Herald reporter Jerry Cornfield and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486, salyer@heraldnet.com.
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