Staff Writer

Health officials are warning Mainers to take steps to protect themselves as cases of swine influenza are reported across the United States and Mexico.

The U.S. declared a public health emergency Sunday as officials continue to investigate reported outbreaks of swine flu in five states. 

State officials said on Wednesday three cases have been confirmed in Maine. The adults, two in Kennebec County and one in York County, are recovering in their homes. Health officials say about three dozen people are being tested and a large number of Mainers recently returned from areas where swine flu has been found. Officials with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention say they are working closely with the federal health officials to increase tracking of influenza and minimize its impact.

“We have seen a decrease in seasonal influenza in Maine these past few weeks and have not detected any swine flu yet. However, with this outbreak spreading, it is likely we will see it in Maine. Our goal is to minimize its impact,” said Dr. Dora Anne Mills, director of the Maine CDC.

Swine influenza is a respiratory disease caused by influenza type A viruses that regularly cause outbreaks of influenza in pigs. People do not normally contract swine flu, but human infections can occur. Those cases typically involve people who have had direct contact with pigs, though person-to-person transmission is suspected among recent cases in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gov. John Baldacci has been briefed on the situation and is tracking development through the Maine CDC. 

“While there are no confirmed cases of the swine flu in Maine, we are taking precautions to ensure that we can quickly identify and track any outbreak,” Baldacci said in a statement. “It’s important to remember that a few simple steps, like washing your hands and staying home if you’re ill, can make a real difference in helping stop the spread of the flu.”

Nationwide, 94 cases of swine flu infection have been identified in 11 states as of Wednesday. The laboratory-confirmed infections include the Maine cases, 14 cases in California; two cases each in Kansas, Massachusetts and Michigan; 51 cases in New York City; one case each in Ohio, Arizona, Indiana and Nevada; and 16 cases in Texas, according to the U.S. CDC. A 23-month-old toddler from  Mexico died in Texas this week, the first death from swine flu in the U.S., according to federal officials.

Federal health officials are working with health officials in the affected states, Mexico, Canada and the World Health Organization by deploying staff domestically and internationally to provide guidance and technical support. The department has activated its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the investigation into the outbreak.

Government officials in Mexico reported 26 confirmed cases of swine flu and seven related deaths as of Wednesday morning. An investigation to clarify the spread and severity of the disease continues as suspected clinical cases have been reported in 19 of the country’s 32 states, according to the World Health Organization. Officials have also confirmed six cases in Canada, three cases in New Zealand, and two cases each in the United Kingdom, Israel and Spain, according to the organization.

Mills said people who recently visited areas with confirmed swine flu – including Mexico, Southern California and Southern Texas – should pay close attention to their health for seven days.

“If you become sick with the symptoms of swine flu during this period, you should call your health care provider with information about your symptoms and where you traveled,” Mills said.

Symptoms of swine flu in people appear to be similar to symptoms of regular human influenza, according to health officials. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills or fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu.

“Everyone has an important role in making sure swine flu has a minimal impact in Maine. We can all be vigilant in practicing respiratory hygiene,” Mills said.

Mainers should practice “excellent” personal hygiene, including covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve and washing hands often with soap and water, Mills said. People also should avoid close contact with sick people and, if sick, stay home from school or work. 

Paula Harris, the nurse at Pond Cove Elementary School in Cape Elizabeth, said the school is encouraging students to follow CDC recommendations to prevent the spread of illness. Students have been reminded to cough or sneeze into their arm or a tissue; wash their hands with soap; avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth unnecessarily; and to stay home when they are sick.

“Basically, it’s the same thing we’ve been telling them all year,” she said.

Scarborough Superintendent David Doyle said a letter was sent home to parents encouraging them to talk to children about appropriate hygiene. The custodial staff is paying close attention to cleaning and sanitizing areas such as water fountains and the administration is in close contact with state health officials to receive updates, he said.

South Portland Superintendent Suzanne Godin said school officials have implemented a five-step approach to educating students and staff about swine flu. The approach includes posting information on the department Web site, sending emails to parents and reminding students to use proper hygiene. 

South Portland school nurses are also meeting with office staff to review protocols for collecting information on symptoms exhibited by sick students, Godin said. Any students exhibiting signs of a fever while in school are sent to the nurse, she said. 

Sheri Dirrigl, an infection preventionist at Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, said the hospital has a pandemic illness plan in place should such an event occur. Policies, procedures and steps have been step up for health care providers to follow, and these plans are reviewed by staff on a regular basis, she said.

“We’ve had lots of training to help people review the action steps to respond,” Dirrigl said. “Much of what we do in our response is paying attention to steps we should do every day.”

Those every day steps include washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes, Dirrigl said. Community members should follow these guidelines to prevent the spread of illness. 

While encouraging community members to be vigilant, the hospital is also working closely with the Maine CDC to stay on top of new developments. 

“Hopefully we can minimize the impact of swine flu within our community,” Dirrigl said.

Mills said it is important for Mainers to stay informed about the swine flu outbreak as health officials are still learning about the disease. The Maine and federal CDCs plan to update their Web sites continuously, she said.

Maine officials expect to receive a shipment of antiviral drugs this week from the federal government, which released 12.5 million doses of Tamiflu and Relenza from its national stockpile. 

The antiviral medications are not the same as antibiotics and do does not cure swine flu, Mills said. Rather, the antiviral medications slow replication of the virus and the spread of infection. The medications will primarily be given to people who are seriously ill and hospitalized, she said.

The Maine CDC will receive the drugs and distribute them as needed, Mills said. The agency developed a pandemic influenza operational plan last year that outline how officials would deal with a mass illness, including plans for implementing mass vaccinations if needed.

Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.