State waiting for flu results

As Minnesota waits to receive results confirming its first “probable” case of swine influenza, a novel strain of the virus commonly referred to as "swine flu," The World Health Organization officially raised the influenza pandemic alert from phase four to phase five Wednesday, which indicates “that a pandemic is imminent.”
An unidentified person with ties to Rocori Middle School in Cold Spring, Minn., fell ill with a strain of influenza that doesn’t match seasonal flu, Gov. Tim Pawlenty said at a press conference Wednesday morning. Pawlenty spoke alongside Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Sanne Magnan and State Epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield .
The sample was flown to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to be matched against the swine flu strain — which authorities are now referring to as 2009 H1N1 influenza. As of Daily press time, the results had not been reported.
The number of confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza in the United States rose to 91, which included the first reported death in the U.S., a Mexican toddler visiting family in Texas .
Laboratories in seven additional countries have confirmed cases of the disease.
In a press briefing, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and acting-director of the CDC Dr. Richard E. Besser stressed that conclusions about the severity of the pandemic or patterns of the disease shouldn’t be drawn from individual cases, such as the death in Texas.
“As we learn more about severity and transmission, we’ll continue to update our treatment guidelines,” Besser said.
Officials stressed additional resources had been put into efforts along the U.S. and Mexican border, but the borders would not be sealed.
“We know from many, many years of experience in terms of controlling infectious diseases … intensive efforts at the border are not an effective mechanism in preventing introduction of an infectious disease,” Besser said.
Because influenza is highly unpredictable and changes quickly, organizations with pandemic influenza plans in place were urged to “look at the planning they’ve undertaken and move forward.”

Waiting in Cold Spring

In Cold Spring, St. Boniface School principal Sister Sharon Waldoch fielded media calls from her office. Her school shares facilities with Rocori Middle School.
Both schools closed Wednesday as a precaution until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determine whether the flu strain found in the Cold Spring resident matches the 2009 H1N1 strain.
“We decided to err on the side of caution and make sure our kids and staff are safe, and not have school,” said Waldoch, who hadn’t gotten much sleep since receiving a 1 a.m. phone call alerting her to the possible case of the virus in her community.
Media members and Minnesota Department of Health officials stopped in Waldoch’s office throughout the day. She said she’ll take direction from the Department of Health when she — and the rest of Cold Spring — find out whether the case is confirmed 2009 H1N1 virus.
“It’s not a pleasant situation to be in,” she said, adding that a confirmed case could mean a seven-day shutdown of the school.
For now, it’s a waiting game.
“It all depends on what happens next,” Waldoch said. “It’s just one of those where you wait and see.”
With the descent of media and state workers on the town, Cold Spring Bakery had a busy morning, employee Lorraine Moeller said.
“You never think it’ll happen here in a smaller community,” she said. Cold Spring’s population is fewer than 3,000 people.
The town stayed fairly calm Wednesday as it awaited the CDC test results. Moeller said if the results come back positive, there might be a different, possibly more panicked, atmosphere.
“I’ve seen it all,” Moeller, a 43-year Cold Spring resident said. “Just hopefully not swine flu.”

— Emma L. Carew and Karlee Weinmann are senior staff reporters