AL State Health Department: "Don't Panic"

State health officials are taking precautionary measures to prevent the Swine Flu from spreading.

By: WKRG Staff | WKRG-TV
Published: April 28, 2009

Health officials here and around the world are scrambling to contain the spread of the Swine Flu virus.
Here are the latest details.

-149 deaths in Mexico can be linked to the Swine Flu.
-The Obama Administration is advising Americans to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico.
-At least 40 confirmed cases of the virus have been confirmed in the United States.
-Fortunately, no cases have been confirmed here in Alabama.

As a precaution State Health officials have collected samples from area doctors in Baldwin, Pike and Madison Counties of what they think may be the Swine Flu.
Dr. Charles Woernle says so far they have received about a handful of samples. He says the results could come back as early as tomorrow morning.
But before the state can get a final confirmation they will need to send the samples to the Center for Disease Control.
"The virus may actually be reasonably well disseminated so the opportunity of being exposed to this virus is not exclusively tied to coming from a high risk area,"Said Dr. Woernle.

The state health department has also received a federal stock pile shipment of Tamiflu--an antiviral for the Swine Flu virus. They're currently working on a plan to distribute it to area doctors in case they need it.