Two north counties report 13 more cases of swine flu

The number of newly confirmed cases of the H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, keeps increasing, and more cases are expected to be announced soon.

Thirteen additional cases have been confirmed, with nine in Jefferson County and four in St. Lawrence County. Of the new cases, 12 were children, including three from Carthage Central School District.

District Superintendent Joseph M. Catanzaro issued a press release Wednesday afternoon that said two students attend Carthage Middle School and one attends Carthage High School.

He said that students taking Regents exams who exhibit flu-like symptoms will be asked to go home unless the test they are taking is a requirement for graduation. Those students will be tested in a separate area and must be masked, per the state Health Department's recommendation.

Carthage follows the Indian River, Alexandria and Watertown school districts in having confirmed swine flu cases.

Six children of Jefferson County's new confirmed cases have fully recovered and three children are still recovering at home. The three children and one adult who were confirmed to have swine flu Wednesday in St. Lawrence County are all recovering.

The total number of confirmed cases in Jefferson County has climbed to 21, while the total number of confirmed cases in St. Lawrence County rose to five.

"If you're sending in more specimens, you're going to get more positives because of the screening process," said Jean A. Bilow, Jefferson County Public Health Service director.

The agency is waiting to hear back on eight more specimens. As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, 64 specimens had been sent to the Wadsworth State Laboratory, Albany.

Meanwhile, Deborah M. Kent, St. Lawrence County Public Health interim director, said St. Lawrence County is awaiting test results for two other suspected swine flu cases.

Of Wednesday's four new confirmed cases in St. Lawrence County, the three children are from two different school districts. Mrs. Kent declined to identify the schools or communities in which they live in.

"The only travel they've had was a school trip outside the county. They might have come in contact with the virus then, but you don't really know," Mrs. Kent said.

One of the children's siblings is ill and is being treated, she said. Relatives and people in close contact with those who have swine flu are treated only if they have symptoms or underlying medical conditions, she said.

The county's first swine flu case, an inmate at Riverview Correctional Facility, Ogdensburg, was confirmed June 8. The inmate has since recovered.

A New York City man visiting the Canton area tested positive for the disease earlier this month and was transferred from Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Potsdam, to Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, Vt., for treatment. Mrs. Kent said the man did not count as a St. Lawrence County case because he was sick when he arrived.

Wednesday's newly confirmed north country cases came just in time for a new state health advisory on swine flu, according to Miss Bilow. She said the memo came out Tuesday, recommending that all health care providers, laboratories and local health departments give priority to H1N1 testing for patients who are hospitalized and who are a part of a community or health care facility outbreak.

As of Wednesday, the state's total number of confirmed swine flu cases reached 1,652, with 1,032 in New York City and 620 elsewhere in the state.