Cook County Health & Hospitals System
(formerly Cook County Bureau of Health Services)
Todd H. Stroger • President Health System Board Members
Cook County Board of Commissioners Dr. David A. Ansell
Commissioner Jerry Butler
Warren L. Batts • Chairman David N. Carvalho
Cook County Health & Hospitals System Quin R. Golden
Benn Greenspan
Jorge Ramirez • Vice Chairman Sr. Sheila Lyne
Cook County Health & Hospitals System Dr. Luis R. Muñoz
Heather E. O’Donnell
David R. Small, FACHE • Interim CEO
Andrea L. Zopp
Cook County Health & Hospitals System
1010 Lake Street, Suite 300
Oak Park, Illinois 60301
Telephone (708) 492-2000
TDD (708) 492-2002 For Immediate Release: April 27, 2009
Contact: Amy Poore 708-492-2015
Stephen A. Martin, Jr., Ph.D., M.P.H.
Chief Operating Officer
We Bring HealthCARE to Your Community
Cook County Department of Public Health
Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) Monitors Swine Flu
No reported cases in suburban Cook County. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 40 confirmed human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) in the United States:; 7 in California, 2 in Kansas, 28 in New York City, 1 in Ohio and 2 in Texas.
Our Department is on alert and continues to work closely with our state and federal partners as we monitor the situation. We are coordinating increased surveillance activities with our hospitals and physicians, and are engaged in continuous monitoring of our syndromic surveillance system (ESSENCE), which can provide critical situational awareness of the current health threat in suburban Cook County.”
Swine flu virus is a respiratory disease of pigs; however, the CDC has confirmed human-to-human transmission of swine flu cases. There is no evidence at this time that animals are involved in the transmission of the virus and there are no known risks associated with eating pork.
Symptoms of swine flu are similar to regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and possibly diarrhea and vomiting.
The most effective way to prevent becoming infected with swine flu virus is to:
• always cough or sneeze into your elbow or into a tissue and properly dispose of used tissues; and
• always wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based
*hand sanitizer to kill germs on hands, and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Persons who are ill with a fever should stay home from work or school to avoid spreading illness to coworkers, classmates, and friends.
Today, the CDC has issued a travel advisory for all non-essential travel to Mexico. For more
information, visit www.cookcountypublichealth.org or contact the Cook County Department of Public Health’s swine flu hotline at: 708-492-2000.
Cook County Health & Hospitals System
We Bring HealthCARE to Your Community
Cook County Department of Public Health
HEALTH ADVISORY
April 27, 2009
Investigation Update and Interim Recommendations: Swine Influenza (H1N1)
As of April 27th, 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 40 confirmed human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) in the United States: 28 cases have occurred in New York, 7 in California, 2 in Texas, 2 in Kansas, and 1in Ohio. The virus is reported to be a novel influenza A (H1N1) strain that is spread from person to person. The virus is designated as the swine influenza virus (SIV) because it contains a unique combination of genetic segments that cause influenza in swine, humans and birds. There is no evidence at this time that animals are involved in the transmission of the virus and there are no known risks associated with eating pork. To date, there are no known cases in the State of Illinois.
While the situation remains critical, there is no need for panic or alarm. The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) has alerted healthcare providers of the need to consider the possibility of swine influenza infections as well as seasonal influenza in patients presenting with febrile respiratory illness. Testing is particularly advised for ill persons with a recent history of travel to Mexico and those who have been in contact with ill persons from the affected states.
CCDPH advises the general public to do the following at this time:
1. To seek medical attention for symptoms including fever greater than 100 degrees, body aches, cough, sore throat and respiratory congestion ; and
2. To prevent spread of respiratory viral infections in general:
a. Ill person should stay home from work or school to avoid spreading illness to co-workers, classmates, and friends;
b. All persons should always cough or sneeze into their elbow or into a tissue and properly dispose of used tissues; and
c. All persons should wash their hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer to kill germs on hands, and avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth.
As a precautionary measure, CCDPH has activated its pandemic preparedness plan which follows guidelines from the CDC as well as the Illinois Department of Public Health. One component of this plan involves monitoring respiratory illness in the community via CCDPH’s syndromic surveillance system (ESSENCE). ESSENCE has the capacity for early detection of an outbreak and can provide critical situational awareness of the current health threat in suburban Cook County.
