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Lane County Sees Increase In Cases Of Swine Flu

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Oregon Health officials say it's not too late to get a flu shot. They hope you will because there's been an uptick in cases in the past week. A number of people in Lane County have tested positive for swine flu, or H1N1.

Only a small percentage of people with the flu get a blood test. In Lane County, there have been 3 confirmed cases of HIN1 in the past week. Jason Davis is spokesman for Lane County Health and Human Services. He says if you have symptoms including headache, body-ache, fever, stuffy nose and cough. Stay home from work or school and call your doctor.  

Davis: "People don't treat it nearly as carefully as they should. They still go to work. They engage in heavy activity and it makes it worse. If you don't go to the doctor, you're laying on your back. You could develop pneumonia. There's all kinds of things that could happen. Really that's where the mortality rate comes from in influenza is people not getting the proper help in time."

The H1N1 strain of flu is notable because it attacks people who are in otherwise good health. All types of flu can cause complications in people who have other health problems.

Davis says the getting a flu shot is the best way to avoid the virus. And it's always a good idea to wash your hands thoroughly and often.
 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Rachael McDonald is KLCC’s host for All Things Considered on weekday afternoons. She also is the editor of the KLCC Extra, the daily digital newspaper. Rachael has a BA in English from the University of Oregon. She started out in public radio as a newsroom volunteer at KLCC in 2000.