Monday, April 27, 2009

"Probable" Case of Swine Flu Hits Michigan

Break out the hysteria. Surgical masks are flying off the shelves in Detroit according to the Freep. Even I'm wondering if any of the people I was within close proximity to last weekend had recently been out of state. Those retirees out at the ballpark are always talking about the trips they take...

The woman tested positive for a non-human variety of influenza, said Dr. Donald Lawrenchuk, Livingston County Department of Public Health medical director, after visiting a petting zoo in San Antonio. It is unclear if she got the illness from another person or pigs at the zoo. She went to an urgent care clinic in Brighton on Sunday, complaining of flu-like symptoms.

During the weekend, MDCH alerted hospitals to be on the lookout for late season flu-like illnesses.

The health department is working with the federal government to increase the state’s stocks of the anti-viral medicines Tamiflu and Relenza, said Dr. Greg Holzmann, chief medical executive for the Michigan Department of Community Health. Health officials are concerned that this animal virus may spread quickly through people, rather than stay isolated with people who have had contact with pigs.


Mike Bishop's office offered this as proof that "government doesn't work" and immediately called for more cuts to the Dept. of Community Health. OK, I'm joking about that last one, but given how Congressional Republicans killed pandemic prep from the stimulus, and they are currently blocking Sebelius' nomination to HHS, and seeing as how DCH is one of Bishop's favorite targets for cuts, it's really not a stretch to believe that, is it?

Go wash your hands.