Press Releases
Posted on Monday, April 27, 2009 - General News
WSU Campuses Monitoring the Swine Flu Outbreak
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4/27/2009
CONTACT:
Office of Marketing and Communications, 360-546-9602, news@vancouver.wsu.edu
VANCOUVER, Wash. - Although the risk of people in Vancouver contracting the swine flu is low (no cases reported in Washington), and at this time, there is no reason to be overly concerned, the Washington State University Pandemic/Contagious Disease Group is monitoring the current international outbreak of the swine flu and any possible affects this outbreak could have on WSU. More information will be posted as it becomes available.
Swine flu is not caused by eating pork. All of the cases of swine flu in the United States have been transmitted by human-to-human contact.
The university community is advised to be aware of the symptoms of the flu. This is especially important to those who have traveled to the high-risk areas of Mexico or other areas where the swine flu has been confirmed in the last seven days or have been in close contact with people who have traveled to these areas in the last seven days. The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions and if you have any of these symptoms you should contact your healthcare provider.
For more information on the swine flu, go to the Center for Disease Control website at: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
Tips to prevent disease transmission:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
- Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
- Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people:
- Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
- If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Anyone who is planning international travel should check with the U.S. Department of State for the most up-to-date travel advisories before leaving for their trip.
WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205, or via C-Tran bus service. We offer 16 bachelor's degrees, nine master's degrees, one doctorate degree and more than 36 fields of study. Visit us on the Web at http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu.
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