College awaits CDC test results

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A sample of suspected swine flu is displayed by a technician at the Washington State Public Health Laboratories Thursday, April 30, 2009, in Shoreline, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

AMHERST - Two students at Amherst College are suspected of having contracted swine flu, after an unspecified number of students with flu-like symptoms were tested for the illness.

As the school awaits test results due Saturday, it is taking steps "to contain the virus and to protect our community," Amherst College President Anthony Marx said in an emailed message Thursday.

Marx said that at least two, and maybe six, students tested positive for Type A influenza. Further testing is need to confirm that the illness is the flu type H1N1, also known as swine flu. All of the Amherst students are responding well to treatment, he said, and the cases are not considered serious.

In all, six affected students are being isolated for a week, all parties planned for the weekend have been canceled and any student with a cough or other flu symptoms is being told to report to the college's health services and not attend classes.

"We also ask that students, especially those with symptoms, limit their visits to public places," Marx said.

Otherwise, the college is operating as usual today.

At the nearby University of Massachusetts, officials are monitoring the possible Amherst outbreak, but as of Thursday had not restricted activities on their campus.

In a message to his community Thursday, Chancellor Robert C. Holub said no swine flu cases have been identified at UMass. He said that state and federal health authorities say normal activities can continue on campus, but the situation is being watched. "If the advice of public health experts changes or circumstances warrant, the decision will be revisited," Holub said.

Dr. Warren Morgan, Amherst College's director of health services, said all six cases are being handled as if they were confirmed to be swine flu, as a precaution.

Students at Amherst College with compromised immune systems or with heart, lung, kidney or liver diseases and diabetes are being urged to contact the school's health services department for advice.

Town Manager Larry Shaffer, in a prepared statement, said Thursday night that the town was notified by the state Department of Public Health of the tests under way with the federal Centers for Disease Control.

Epi Bodhi, the town's director of public health, called the development "cause for concern, but not for alarm."

"Not all flu symptoms are the result of swine flu. However, I would recommend that precautions be taken," Bodhi said in a statement.

The Amherst College Health Services, which typically closes at 8 p.m., was asked to stay open later Thursday to accommodate students who seek medical attention, said Peter Rooney, the college's director of public affairs.

The six affected students were being isolated in a dormitory. They had apparently not been to Mexico, the source of swine flu, Rooney said. Two of the students were diagnosed as "probable" for the illness, he said.

A college task force was scheduled to meet at 8:30 this morning to review Thursday's events and to discuss next steps, he said.

The task force includes Marx, Rooney, the dean of students, the dean of faculty, and representatives of the Physical Plant, the campus police and Health Services, he said.

Basic precautions

Bodhi, the Amherst, health director, suggests the following precautions to avoid contracting or transmitting the flu:

 · Avoid hugging, holding, kissing or shaking hands with anyone who has a cold or the flu.

 · Cover the nose and mouth when sneezing

 · Wash hands often with soap and warm water or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer.

 · Avoid touching nose, mouth or eyes.

 · Clean items that are touched often, such as telephones and door handles.

 · If someone gets sick, he or she should stay home and avoid contact with others - and see a doctor if the symptoms are severe.

Symptoms of swine flu resemble those of regular seasonal flu in humans, and according to the CDC may include fever over 100 degrees, sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, chills, headache and body ache and general fatigue.