May 11, 2009

State Public Health Director Joins Consulate General of Mexico to Discuss State's Preparedness Efforts For H1N1 Outbreak

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Dr. Damon T. Arnold, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and Consul General Manuel Rodriguez Arriaga joined more than one-hundred community leaders tonight at the Consulate General of Mexico to discuss the state's preparedness efforts and response during the recent H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak. During the discussion, Dr. Arnold emphasized the importance of developing a preparedness plan within every community to ensure the health and safety of each community member.

Officials with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) are reporting 487 confirmed cases of H1N1 flu (swine flu) in Illinois and one probable case.

To stay healthy, follow the three C’s:

• Clean – properly wash your hands frequently
• Cover – cover your cough and sneeze
• Contain – contain your germs by staying home if you are sick

People who have questions about H1N1 flu can call the Illinois flu hotline at 866-848-2094 for English and 866-241-2138 for Spanish. The hotline operates from 8:30 am to 5 p.m. daily.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, it is likely there will be a point where it will become impossible to count individual cases. At that point, health officials will transition to using reporting systems similar to those used for seasonal flu. Individual cases of seasonal flu are not counted, but activity levels are monitored through a nationwide surveillance system, which will be used to monitor the spread of illness caused by this new virus.

The Illinois Department of Public Health will remain vigilant in an effort to reduce the transmission and severity of illness.

For more information on H1N1 flu, log onto ready.illinois.gov.