By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
5/21/09
The town has its first confirmed case of H1N1, otherwise known as swine flu.
In a prepared statement released Monday, the Board of Health stated it was informed of the case by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
“The resident, a student at Milton High School, is considered to have a mild case of the flu and expected make a full recovery,” the release stated. “The Board of Health is working closely with the Milton Public Schools as we follow the most up-to-date guidance from the MDPH and the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the surveillance and prevention of H1N1/swine flu.”
School Superintendent Mary Gormley said at press time there was only the single swine flu case.
“[Tuesday] there were a lot of rumors going around … [but] there’s no more flu,” she said.
Health Inspector Nelly Browne-Janga also said Wednesday there was only the one case.
Meanwhile, another source has told the Times that the case is not related to a recent bacterial virus that infected six members of the school’s baseball team.
According to the Board of Health release, 156 swine flu cases have been confirmed in the state. About 4,700 cases have been confirmed nationally.
Health Director Michael Blanchard said the Milton High case was discovered over the weekend and the Board of Health was notified Monday morning.
“We thought the best thing for us to do was put out factual information to the public as soon as possible,” he said.
Following that, a letter urging parents to take “common sense precautions” was sent out to school parents by School Superintendent Mary Gormley and head nurse Margaret Gibbons.
“The Milton Public School system is working closely with the Milton Board of Health to ensure maximum surveillance in our community,” the letter stated. “It is very important for parents/guardians to make responsible decisions concerning sending a child to school if sick with flu-like symptoms.”
According to the Board of Health, those who have flu-like symptoms should stay home. Children who have symptoms should be kept home from school for seven days from the onset of the symptoms, or 24 hours after symptoms subside, whichever is longer. As with seasonal flus, the symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body ache, headache, chills and fatigue; diarrhea or vomiting may also occur.
Precautions include washing hands frequently with soap and warm water, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. People should also cover their mouths with a tissue when they cough, or cough into their inner elbow and not their hands.
The Board of Health can be reached at (617) 898-4886 or mblanchard@townofmilton.org. For more information, visit www.mass.gov/dph/swineflu or www.cdc.gov/swineflu.