Staff Writer
One of two probable Augusta cases for novel influenza A H1N1 has turned out to be negative for the virus, the Georgia Division of Public Health said Friday evening.
The test was on a 41-year-old man from Columbia County. Public health releases only age, gender and county for suspected or confirmed cases. Another probable case, a 45-year-old man from Richmond County, is still pending confirmation, along with seven others from the metro Atlanta area, most from Henry County.
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the Augusta tests, which were performed on military personnel. The military sends all of its suspected flu samples to Texas for testing, so it is unclear to Georgia health officials whether the cases are from the area or whether the personnel are in Texas.
"We know they have some history of residence in Georgia," said S. Elizabeth Ford, the acting public health director.
Georgia had one more confirmed case Friday, a 13-year-old boy from Henry County, raising the state's total to four. That doesn't include a 30-year-old Kentucky woman who was hospitalized and diagnosed in Georgia because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists her as a Kentucky case.
The number of suspected cases isn't likely to grow dramatically because the state decided it would test only patients who have been hospitalized. Besides the Kentucky woman, none of the confirmed or probable cases has been hospitalized, Dr. Ford said.
The virus does not appear to be any worse than seasonal flu, she said. The state will concentrate on looking for more serious cases for signs the virus could become more virulent and monitoring the spread through its 79 physician offices and clinics.
Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213 or tom.corwin@augustachronicle.com.
