University Health System, University of Nevada School of Medicine offer information regarding swine flu
Back to All News Items05-05-2009
Author: Anne McMillin - (email)
LAS VEGAS/RENO, Nev.- During the past few days, there have been reports of swine flu in Mexico and several other countries as well as scattered cases in the United States.
As of May 5, five cases have been reported in Nevada: three in Washoe County and two in Clark County, according to the Nevada State Health Division and the Nevada Division of Health and Human Services.
Federal and state health officials as well as physicians at the University of Nevada School of Medicine continue to stress that the public has no reason to be alarmed about reports of swine flu.
"We continue to closely monitor our patients seen through University Health System, the clinical practice of the School of Medicine, and follow the Center for Disease Control's recommendations for preventing the spread of this flu," said Michael Jakoby, M.D., M.A., chair of the School of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine in Las Vegas.
Those CDC recommendations include:
Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue whenever you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
If you get sick with influenza, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth as germs spread this way.
Several H1N1 swine flu hotlines are available for the public to get more information. The State of Nevada has opened a 24-hour bilingual H1N1 swine flu hotline for all Nevada residents to use. The state hotline number is 1-866-767-5038. The Washoe County District Health Department's flu hotline is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. That number is (775)325-8140. The Southern Nevada Health District also established a bilingual hotline for Clark County residents at (702)759-4636. Please be patient as call volume is high.
For additional information on swine flu, please visit the following Web sites: Nevada State Health Division and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
University Health System, the clinical practice of the University of Nevada School of Medicine, offers care in more than 40 medical specialties and subspecialties with eight physician offices in the Reno/Sparks area and seven in Las Vegas. Specialties include family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and surgery. As the largest multispecialty health care focus in the state, University Health System's more than 300 doctors practice and teach medicine throughout Nevada. For more information visit www.uhsnevada.org.
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