Swine flu confirmed in Massachusetts, Maine

Posted by Christine Chinlund

Governor Deval Patrick (left) spoke today about the two swine flu cases in Lowell at a news conference with Dr.JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Health & Human Services, and Commissioner John Auerbach of the Department of Public Health.

By Stephen Smith and Kay Lazar, Globe Staff

Disease trackers in Massachusetts and Maine confirmed today that swine flu has arrived in New England, with two boys from Lowell recovering from the viral illness after being exposed while on vacation in Mexico.

Three adults in Maine have tested positive, authorities there said.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and state health authorities said there is no evidence that the Lowell children, whose names and ages were not disclosed because of patient confidentiality laws, have transmitted the virus.

]Massachusetts disease trackers confirmed today that swine flu has arrived in New England, with two boys from

"None of the contact cases, zero of the contact cases have been symptomatic," Patrick said, emphatically.

Dozens of people who might have had contact with the pair -- relatives, neighbors, playmates -- have either tested negative for swine flu, or shown no symptoms of the respiratory disease. Still, as a precautionary measure, those considered at high risk of flu complications because of underlying medical conditions have been given anti-flu medication.

Lowell's health director, Frank Singleton, said that the boys attend separate private schools but that neither attended classes after returning from Mexico a week ago. One child fell ill Thursday, while the other became sick Sunday, Singleton said. A third sibling is not ill and has returned to school, Singleton said. The boys' parents do not have symptoms either, but both opted to not go back to work.

"They recovering," Singleton said. "They are not very happy because it's not very pleasant to have the flu."

The state Department of Public Health received conclusive word from federal authorities at midmorning that the boys were indeed infected with swine flu, a disease that has stoked widespread fear because humans have no immunity against the ailment.

Patrick's presence at a late morning press conference, flanked by his top health officials, underscored both the concern about the disease and a desire to present a united front against the virus and public anxiety.

"We want the public to know we are prepared," the governor said, "and we want the public to be prepared."

Patrick urged precautions: "If you are sick, stay home from work, and I would ask special sensitivity from employers."

So far, theDepartment of Public Health has tested about 40 samples that doctors sent to the state laboratory because patients had flu-like symptoms and had traveled to regions with reported cases of swine flu. After preliminary testing, only three samples raised red flags and were sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Two of those samples were from the Lowell students; results are pending on the third sample, according to Dr. Alfred DeMaria, the state's epidemiologist.

State health authorities pledged to move swiftly to investigate potential cases and to prevent transmission through measures similar to the contact-tracing that was used in Lowell.

"Our major goal is for swine flu to not spread in Massachusetts," said Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, the state's secretary of health and human services. "We've already had two cases here and it's spread in the United States. So we know there's a chance it can spread here."

In Lowell, parents expressed concern about their own children's health as word spread about the two boys infected with swine flu.

Samantha Frazier, five months pregnant and with a 14-month-old in a stroller, said the viral illness left her "terrified. My kids are my life. I would absolutely lose it if one of them got sick."

Meanwhile, scores of families in the central Massachusetts town of Spencer kept children home from school today after reports that two elementary students were suspected of having swine flu. School officials decided to keep the Lake Street School open despite parents' concerns, as officials awaited definitive lab test results. The students -- believed to be a first grade girl and a third grade boy -- were not identified.
And in Brockton, a hospital spokeswoman said samples from two adults who exhibited flu-like symptoms were sent for testing. One had come to the Brockton Hospital emergency room. The other visited a doctor affiliated with the hospital. Their names, gender and ages were withheld, but hospital spokeswoman Rachel Labas (cq) said both patients had recently been to Mexico.
"At this point, that travel is the differentiating fact," Labas said. "We aren't taking samples for suspected swine flu if they are just exhibiting flu-like symptoms, at this point."
Lou Tartaglia, (cq) director of Brockton's health department, confirmed the two adults are the only suspected cases in the city at this point.