News Poll
 
Should the city of Gilroy be paying to have four firefighters staff each engine, or are three firefighters enough?
Four
Three
Past Polls
   Top News
 
   Opinion
 

 Fire protection in Gilroy: The question is at what cost?
Nov 5, 2009
 
 Letters: Get the facts from the firefighters; City Council endangering public
Nov 5, 2009
 
  More Opinion...
   

NEWS > COMMUNITY


Six students forwarded to county with possible swine flu
Apr 30, 2009
 By Chris Bone

A sign informs incoming patients this morning at Saint Louise Regional Hospital to help prevent the possible spread of swine flu by covering their mouth and nose with a tissue or surgical mask if they have symptoms of a respiratory illness. The sign also advised readers to wash their hands often.
Photo by: Lora Schraft, Staff Photographer
Six students from at least two district schools have reported swine flu symptoms and have been forwarded to the county health department for testing, according to school district and health department representatives.

Gilroy Unified School District Superintendent Debbie Flores would not identify which schools the six students went to, but a county health representative confirmed that there was a sample being tested from a Rucker Elementary School girl. Flores also said that a 13-year-old middle school student was one of the six students with symptoms and that the other five students were at district elementary schools.

"I'm not going to identify the schools ... It would be alarming people" until a case is confirmed through testing, Flores said.

Officials at the Santa Clara County Public Health Department expected results this afternoon from Saint Louise Regional Hospital, as the institution has had the sample from the Rucker girl for more than 24 hours. Physicians tested the student Wednesday morning, but "everybody" at the hospital authorized to speak to the media was in a meeting Thursday morning, according to the hospital's operator who said, "There's kind of a situation going on here." Hospital representative Jasmine Nguyen said she was "unable to confirm any information" as of 12 p.m.

It is unclear whether the other five students have submitted test samples or if they are being analyzed.

"A little snafu" in the first test sample caused the delay in the results, and county staff have since labeled the young girl's strain a "high priority," a county spokesperson said. That puts it ahead in the evaluation queue of at least 30 other samples from throughout the county.

Even the school district's head nurse, Eileen Obata, was still waiting for more information.

"They're not telling me anything. I asked if the results would be ready in 24, 48 hours, but I can't get any answers. It's all wait and see," Obata said. "I haven't been called today. I'm amazed."

At least 109 Americans have contracted swine flu, including a 23-month-old child from Mexico who died from the illness while in Houston, Tex. Also hard hit have been South Carolina, New York and California, where the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has declared 14 confirmed cases, but no deaths. County health officials have tested 44 samples and have declared only four as probable cases, county spokesperson Joy Alexiou said.

Those include a 16-year-old San Jose girl, a 30-year-old male, and a 32-year-old female who had recently traveled to Mexico, all of whom were not hospitalized and are at home recovering, Alexiou said. The fourth case, a 53-year-old female, is still under investigation. These people do not include the suspected Gilroy cases. All four people with probable cases of swine flu live in San Jose or Santa Clara.


Chris Bone
Chris Bone covers City Hall for The Dispatch. Reach him at 847-7109 or e-mail him at cbone@gilroydispatch.com.

POST A COMMENT

If you are under 13 years of age you may read this message board, but you may not participate. Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Add to Google Add to My Yahoo!  Email This Article  Print
 News: Community
Saint Louise to host seminar on affordable medication
Nov 6, 2009
 
A man on a mission
Nov 5, 2009
 
Elderly man gives up $1M in possible 'sweetheart scam'
Nov 5, 2009
 
Talented and thoughtful young man's life cut short
Nov 5, 2009
 
 News: Santa Clara County
South County gains permanent seat on VTA board
Nov 6, 2009
 
Well owner seeks $5 million refund from water district
Oct 29, 2009
 
Coe park cuts mean dirtier bathrooms, fewer camp patrols
Oct 28, 2009
 
H1N1 vaccine deliveries lag
Oct 28, 2009
 
 News: National and World
Colo. boy said to have floated off in balloon found at home
Oct 15, 2009
 
6-year-old Colo. boy floats away in balloon aircraft
Oct 15, 2009
 
Toyota recalls 3.8 million cars over acceleration safety issue
Sep 30, 2009
 
Obama, administration officials pay tribute to 9-11 victims
Sep 11, 2009
 
More Community... More Santa Clara County... More National and World...


 Obituaries

 Ellen Rosemary Grundy
1/7/1946 - 10/31/2009

 Sadiee Frassetti
1/2/1919 - 11/2/2009

 Dorothy (Filice) Torre
7/14/1921 - 10/30/2009

 Julian Macias
1/28/1928 - 10/30/2009

 Kimberly Deanne Perry
1/11/1967 - 10/23/2009

 Marlene Ann Aza
12/23/1949 - 10/23/2009

 Archie B. Cole
8/13/1966 - 6/28/2009

 Manuel C. Lopez
2/8/1917 - 10/25/2009

 Jack B. Kazanjian
7/9/1923 - 10/23/2009

 Photos
News
     
Sports
     
Special Events
     
Full Pages
     
 Videos
Care for some worm soup?
Nov 3, 2009
 
Dedicating a school to a dedicated man
Nov 3, 2009
 
Revealing a history
Oct 27, 2009
 
It takes a village, and a choir
Oct 26, 2009
 
 GilroyTV
 Most Wanted
 
More Obituaries... More Photos... More Videos...
Advertise | Contact Us | Subscriber Center | RSS Feed
Copyright © 2009 | MainStreet Media Group | All rights reserved.