Utahns prep for flu outbreak

Word of limited school closings and other public restrictions in parts of the nation has Utahns wondering how local officials would try to curtail an outbreak of swine flu in the Beehive State.

With Utah's first "probable" case announced on Wednesday, trying to predict how widely the virus will spread is less a concern for health officials than fine-tuning the plans they have in place to deal with whatever occurs here.

Several components of the Utah Pandemic Influenza Response Program, formulated by the Utah Department of Health, have already kicked into gear. Physicians are sending samples of potential swine flu to the state lab for testing and communication mechanisms to keep the public updated have been enhanced with the 211 hot line and state Web site for updates put online at health.utah.gov/swineflu.

The statewide plan, which builds on strategies and strengths developed in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympics, includes the following steps:

1. Enhanced surveillance systems and epidemiologic capacity to rapidly detect, characterize, and provide information about a pandemic of influenza.

2. Implementation of 24/7 response capacity within state and local public health agencies.

3. Tapping the Strategic National Stockpile of anti-viral medication and planning for its deployment in Utah.

4. Public information and risk communication plans.

5. Strengthened laboratory capacity.

6. Inter-agency coordination and communication.

The first wave of the state's allotment of anti-viral medications from the Strategic National Stockpile arrived Wednesday, according to Utah Department of Health Spokesman Tom Hudachko. He said the state's first "probable" cheek swab sample has been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and results are expected on Friday. Unless the case is confirmed, no patient information is available, he said.

The goals of the state plan are, "first, to minimize serious illness and death, and second, to limit societal disruption and economic losses."

Officials in Davis and Utah counties are also in line with the state plan. Lance Madigan, spokesman for the Utah County Health Department, said the agency is in "constant contact with the state," to coordinate its response.