Orange County reports second H1N1 case

Hillsborough, N.C. — Public health officials said Friday that a second case of swine flu has been confirmed in Orange County.

Dr. Rosemary Summers, Orange County's health director, said the adult who contracted the illness is isolated at home.

Officials identified people who might have been exposed to the H1N1 virus and asked them to watch for flu-like symptoms and contact a physician if needed.

Summers said the case is unrelated to Orange County's first case, which was reported a week ago.

That person works at University Pediatrics in Durham and was immediately isolated to contain the spread of the illness.

Ten co-workers received preventive treatment, and none exhibited flu-like symptoms, said Dr. David Weber, an epidemiologist and associate director of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Seventeen patients who came in contact with the worker also were offered anti-viral medications, but not all took them, Weber said.

Some of the clinic patients were tested for swine flu, but all tests came back negative, Weber said.

On Thursday, four elementary school-aged children in New Hanover Counties contracted swine flu. Three of the students attend Gregory Elementary School of Science, Mathematics and Technology, while the fourth attends Snipes Academy of Art and Design.

Officials said they weren't recommending any school closures.

North Carolina has 21 confirmed swine flu cases.

Almost 9,000 cases of H1N1 have shown up in 49 states, and 15 people in the U.S. have died from the disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least 42 countries have confirmed cases of the disease, which has sickened more than 11,000 people and caused about 90 deaths, the World Health Organization reports.