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Local teen tests positive for swine flu

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By Tiffany Y. Latta, Staff Writer Updated 4:20 PM Tuesday, June 30, 2009

HAMILTON — A 15-year-old Hamilton girl tested positive for swine flu today, June 30, becoming the third confirmed case of the novel H1N1 influenza virus in Butler County.

The 15-year-old girl began suffering flulike symptoms after attending a youth camp in Panama City, Fla., said Dr. William Karwisch, director of the city’s health department.

Karwisch said the teen was treated and released at a local hospital and kept in isolation to limit the spread of the virus.

“I don’t expect any secondary cases from this particular case," Karwisch said.

The local girl is among 104 confirmed swine flu cases in state, including a 13-year-old girl and a 30-year-old man from Butler County, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 30,000 people nationwide have tested positive for the virus, which was declared a pandemic June 11.

CDC officials last week estimated that swine flu has likely infected more than 1 million people nationwide.

That estimate is “just a ballpark figure,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of respiratory diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adding, “We know we’re not tracking every single one of them.”

Only a tiny fraction of those one million cases have been tested, Schuchat said. The estimate is based on testing plus telephone surveys in areas where the novel flu has hit hard.

Health officials urge residents to use basic precautions to avoid the flu, such as washing their hands, covering their mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing, and staying home if they’re sick.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2180 or tlatta@coxohio.com.

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