Cowley County Monday joined a growing list of Kansas counties to confirm a case of the Swine Flu, health officials said.
A child in the county ? the City-Cowley County Health Dept. provided little information in regard to the youth’s identity ? was confirmed to be sick with the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus. The child has a recent travel history and has not returned home, according to David Brazil, the health department’s director.
Brazil explained that health officials are trying to determine whether the child contracted the illness before or after leaving the county. Brazil did not know where the diagnosis was made and could not release information about how the child was being treated medically.
Brazil did say that the person was a county resident.
"That’s the connection with Cowley County," he said. "I don’t mean to be cryptic, we just want to protect the privacy of this person and still get out important information."
A thorough investigation is being conducted to determine the child’s possible sources of exposure. Health officials are also coordinating efforts to decrease opportunities for ongoing transmission of the illness.
Symptoms of the illness are similar to that of seasonal flu and include: fever, body aches, coughing, sore throat, congestion and in some cases diarrhea and vomiting.
