A second suspected Augusta case of novel influenza A H1N1 has turned out to be negative, the Georgia Division of Public Health announced Wednesday. The suspected case was in a 45-year-old military man from Richmond County. Because the military sends all of its suspected flu cases to Texas for testing, it was unclear where the man is stationed, Georgia health officials have said. Another suspected military case in a 41-year-old Columbia County man turned out to be negative last week.
The state now has eight confirmed cases, six of them in Henry County and six other probable cases there. All are associated with Eagles Landing Christian Academy, around which the state is conducting a cluster investigation.
The flu cases appeared among students who traveled together and later spread, said S. Elizabeth Ford, acting director of the Division of Public Health. The trip was out of state. but Dr. Ford said she did not know where. She praised the school, parents and students for limiting the number of cases through practices such as frequent hand-washing and keeping sick kids at home.
"They've done a great job of managing that process," Dr. Ford said.
The state has 10 probable cases overall pending confirmation, all in the metro Atlanta area. Since April 29, Medical College of Georgia Hospital has done 11 rapid tests in people with flu-like symptoms, but only one was positive and further testing showed it was not the new virus, spokeswoman Deborah Humphrey said.
University Hospital is doing about five rapid screens a day, which only test for the presence of any influenza virus. None have been positive , and therefore none have been sent off for further testing, spokeswoman Rebecca Sylvester said. The state does believe people still need to be taking preventive measures, Dr. Ford said.
"What we're learning right now is that both the seasonal flu and H1N1 continue to circulate in Georgia right now, and this is rather late in the year for seasonal flu," she said.
South Carolina has had 34 confirmed H1N1 cases, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reported.
Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213 or tom.corwin@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
