For Release: IMMEDIATE
Date: November 2, 2006

State Lab Finds Preliminary Flu Confirmation

RALEIGH – N.C. State Health Director Dr. Leah Devlin today said that the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health has preliminary confirmation of the state’s first two flu cases. The two cases were from Yancey County and both tested positive for Influenza B.

Yesterday, Yancey County officials closed the school system through Tuesday of next week because of the unusually high rate of students and faculty experiencing influenza-like symptoms.

Devlin praised those efforts. “We know that the front line of defense against the flu is community containment,” she said. “Sometimes it is difficult to make these kinds of decisions because they do disrupt people’s lives, but this is the kind of action you need to take to stop flu in its tracks.”

Devlin reminded North Carolinians that they can take action to protect themselves and their families from influenza and other respiratory infections “Cover your coughs and sneezes,” she said. “Use a tissue. Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands. And, if you have symptoms of flu, stay home.”

Today’s lab results are still considered preliminary, because they will have to be confirmed by a culture that could take up to a week. Devlin said given the interest around the Yancey County situation, public health officials felt that it was important to get information out as quickly as possible. “We always try to provide information when we have it,” she said. “We know that people have an increased interest in flu and we want them to know what we know.”

There are two kinds of influenza that commonly infect humans – Type B and Type A. Influenza B is generally less serious than Influenza A. It is too early too know what the predominant strain of flu will be during this year’s season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been other reports of influenza in the country and most of the viruses reported in the southeast have been in children. Both Type A an Type B have been reported elsewhere.

According to the CDC, a record amount of flu vaccine has been produced this year, but there are still some problems in the vaccine distribution process. That has resulted in delays, but vaccination is effective throughout December and January. Given the Yancey County situation, the North Carolina Division of Public Health has requested additional vaccine from the CDC.

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