Swine Flu PennsylvaniaThe department said the specimen was taken from a person who had a recent travel history to Mexico and has flu-related symptoms, such as a fever.
The specimen will be tested for influenza and the swine flu. If those tests come back inconclusive, they could be sent to the CDC for further testing.
The person, who is an Allegheny County resident, is recovering, the health department said.
“At this moment there are no confirmed cases of swine flu in Pennsylvania,” said Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Everette James. “There are now 64 confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S., including confirmed cases in our neighboring states of Ohio and New York."
Dr. Steven Ostrok, acting state physician general, said, “We have all of our monitoring systems in place. We are in constant contact with the local health departments around the state and with district health departments around the state, looking for possible cases.”
Click here to read about a Pittsburgh-area researcher who's tracking the swine flu online.
Derry area school district sent a letter home to parents about the recent outbreak of swine flu.
A group of students from Derry High School recently traveled to Mexico over Easter break. The school said they will be monitoring those students for any changes in their health.
VIDEO: Pa. Airline Passenger Isolated With Swine Flu Symptoms
An airline passenger arriving in Pennsylvania was isolated after exhibiting symptoms of swine flu.
A 24-year-old Pennsylvania woman was taken to a hospital after arriving in Philadelphia on U.S. Airways Flight 804 from Cancun on Monday.
She will remain in isolation at the hospital until tests confirm whether or not she has the swine flu.
The rest of the passengers on Flight 80 were released, but the CDC took their personal information so they can be contacted, if needed.
The U.S. Senate called for an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the swine flu outbreak. The FDA has issued emergency rules for the distribution of anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza.
As of Tuesday afternoon there are 50 confirmed cases of the swine flu, the highest concentration of which is in New York where 28 cases were confirmed at a private school.
VIDEO: Pitt Students, Professionals Comment On Swine Flu
VIDEO: Hospitals Prepare To Treat Swine Flu Patients
As cases of swine flu are reported across the country, hospitals in Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas are preparing for dealing with swine flu patients.
Allegheny General Hospital and UPMC hospitals have put a swine flu screening process in place in their emergency rooms. They test each patient with a swab and, if positive, the patient is isolated and given a mask to wear to avoid further exposure.
Hospital officials, like Dr. Chuck Machett, UPMC in Oakland, are reminding staff to take precautions in dealing with the outbreak.
“We are sending out a communication sheet to all of our employees at all of our hospitals and physicians' offices, which is essentially activating the influenza plan we developed in 2006,” said Machett.
Maureen Sherer, at UPMC in Oakland, also warned that people who received a flu shot are still vulnerable to swine flu. “From what I understand, this doesn’t take care of the swine flu strain that’s coming around, and that’s kind of scary.”
There is no vaccine for swine flu. However, there are anti-viral medicines that are somewhat effective against it.
“Tamiflu and Relenza seem to work at this time,” said Dr. Ron Voorhees, chief epidemiologist of the Allegheny County Heath Department.
VIDEO: Doctor Says Swine Flu ‘Serious Illness’ But ‘Not A Superbug’
“A lot of people are concerned because this is something new,” said Voorhees. “This is a serious illness but … not a superbug or anything like that.”
Though it is called swine flu, there is no sign any of the known cases stem from contact with pigs, he said.
Voorhees said swine flu spreads like regular influenza, so to avoid getting sick, he recommends people wash their hands often and avoid contact with sick people.
Also, people are advised to do all the other things you would do to avoid the flu, such as covering your mouth when you cough, avoiding touching your eyes and mouth, and staying home if you have a fever.
The symptoms of swine flu are the same as regular flu: headache, sore throat, cough, fever, aches and pains. However, the symptoms are more severe with swine flu and normally take 48 hours to develop.
Health officials said if you develop what you believe to be symptoms of swine flu, you should go to your doctor instead of crowding the area hospitals.
The government declared a public health emergency on Sunday and, by doing so, it got 12 million doses of Tamiflu and Relenza ready for quick distribution nationwide.
Employees at Pittsburgh International Airport are being "extra vigilant" for any problems that could be related to swine flu.
Airport spokeswoman JoAnn Jenny said no special procedures have been implemented yet. But airport officials have been alerted to the possibility of a medical emergency.
Jenny said the airport is waiting for further instructions from the Allegheny County Health Department. There are two direct flights every week from Cancun, Mexico, to Pittsburgh.
So far, there have been no reported cases in Pittsburgh, but some health experts said that will probably change soon.
"I'm not aware of any cases in Pennsylvania at this time, although I'm sure there are probably some given the spread we've seen," said Dr. Sam Stebbins of the Center for Public Health Preparedness at the University of Pittsburgh. "Now confirmed cases in Ohio and New York, it seems impossible that there isn't already some in Pennsylvania."
Officials believe the flu originated in Mexico, where hundreds have fallen ill and dozens have died. At least 40 cases have been confirmed in the United States. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency.
President Barack Obama said Monday the threat of spreading swine flu infections is cause for concern but "not a cause for alarm," as the United States stepped up border monitoring and countries across the globe increased their vigilance as well.
"The Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency as a precautionary tool to ensure that we have the resources we need at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively," Obama told a gathering of scientists amid increasing worries worldwide about a possible pandemic.
A handful of schools around the country have closed over swine flu fears and some people are wearing masks, but it's mostly business as usual in the U.S., even at border crossings into Mexico.
While Asian countries deployed thermal sensors at airports to screen passengers from North America for signs of fever, there have been no extra screenings at the U.S. border with the country considered ground zero for the outbreak. Swine flu has killed as many as 152 people in Mexico, where schools have been canceled nationwide.
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