Swine flu in Utah? Lab tests samples

State health officials are doing surveillance testing on medical samples from a number of Utahns to determine whether any have contracted swine flu, though no "probable" cases have yet been detected.

Salt Lake Valley Health Department director Gary Edwards told the Deseret News on Tuesday that the state's public-health lab has received samples from "a few (physicians) from various parts of the state" taken from people "who are exhibiting influenza-type symptoms and have traveled to some of the affected areas," and is waiting for results on testing to come back.

He said the action is part of an "active surveillance system" statewide that directs doctors who collect samples that meet the definition to send them to the state lab for initial confirmation.

"Our state lab is not able to determine at this point whether it is the swine-flu virus in question. They are able to determine whether it's something other than the seasonal influenza" that strikes in different strains each year, he said.

Utah has "no ability to determine" a confirmation of swine flu at this point, he said, "but I'm told the state will be getting the laboratory medium to do that within the next few days to a week."

Tom Hudachko, spokesman for the Utah Department of Health, said "about 20" influenza samples had been sent in for testing as of Tuesday afternoon, but none had been identified as "probable" cases, which means local laboratories could not identify the specific influenza type.

"If we can't sub-type it, we send it off to the Centers for Disease Control, and that will become a probable case" of swine flu. Researchers there will determine whether or not such cases become "confirmed," he said.

The CDC is in the process of sending out "typing kits" to state health departments around the country, enabling them to confirm cases in-state, he said. "In a few days, we should have that and be able to turn it around (with results) the same day or next day," he said.

Edwards said instructing physicians statewide to be on the lookout for patients with symptoms and to send in samples "is a natural part of a surveillance system. … We wouldn't just want to wait for confirmation (that someone in Utah has swine flu), but rather we're actively doing things" to prepare for whatever kind of local health response is warranted, he said.

County health officials are "working closely with all of the municipalities, making sure they are aware of what's taking place. The key thing is now we're actively watching what's taking place."