Feds backtrack on call for closings

You might think that inter-species diseases are a thing of the movies, but in reality viruses, bacteria, and fungus jump between the species they attack. The recent H1N1 pig flu virus had genes from bird flu, and when it migrated to humans, it acquired human genes.
Vaccines try to prevent inter-species viruses and include immunity against variations of H1N1, H3N2, H1N2. Viral mutations are not fiction, and vaccination and potent anti-virals are some of our weapons.

Federal health officials Tuesday backed off recommending schools close for two weeks if a student or staffer comes down with swine flu.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instead started asking schools to focus more on preventing the spread of the disease by telling students and staffers who exhibit flu-like symptoms to stay home, saying the H1N1 virus is no more contagious or lethal than other forms of seasonal flu.

The reversal caused the headmaster at a private school in Henry County to order the school to reopen Thursday. Tim Dowdy had closed the 1,200-student Eagle's Landing Christian Academy in McDonough on Monday after a 14-year-old student tested positive for swine flu.

Hundreds of other schools around the United States followed the government's guidance and closed, giving students an unexpected vacation and leaving parents scrambling for child care.

"We no longer feel that school closure is warranted," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the swine flu virus had turned out to be milder than feared and the government decided to change its advice.

Barrow County schools Superintendent Ron Saunders almost faced a decision about closing last week, but an ill student's swine flu test was negative, he said.

Under the old guidelines, school administrators had the discretion to close one school or the entire district.

Eagle's Landing was the first and, so far, the only school in Georgia to cancel classes because of the outbreak.

The disease keeps spreading, however. Two other confirmed cases of swine flu surfaced Tuesday when a 3-year-old boy from Cobb County and a 36-year-old pregnant woman from DeKalb County tested positive for the virus, according to Dr. Elizabeth Ford, head of the state Division of Public Health.

Ford said a relative who lives at the toddler's house recently had been to Mexico - the epicenter of the swine flu outbreak.

All members of the child's family, including a 2-month-old and a 2-year-old, are displaying flu-like symptoms and have been treated with anti-viral drugs, she said.

State health officials are unsure how the DeKalb County woman contracted the virus. Ford said the woman, her husband and 8-year-old child have declined anti-viral drugs.

CDC officials also were testing one more probable case from Georgia - an 8-year-old girl from Clayton County who recently was enrolled in school in Mexico, Ford said.

If the 8-year-old child's sickness is confirmed to be swine flu, it would be the fifth confirmed case in the state.

Last week, a 30-year-old Kentucky woman became the first case when she was hospitalized in LaGrange while attending a wedding. The woman, who had traveled to Mexico, is in stable condition. The Eagle's Landing student was the state's second swine flu case.

Under the new CDC guidelines, students or other school staff who've contracted the disease are to spend at least seven days at home. If students or faculty members are still sick after a week, they're advised to wait 24 hours until the influenza symptoms have ceased before considering returning to school or venturing out into the local community.

Schools still may consider closing if there is a high rate of absenteeism among students or faculty due to the virus that affects a school's ability to function, according to the CDC.

Staff writer Ryan Blackburn contributed to this report.

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Biotechnology advances have allowed us to understand viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens better than ever before. We use genetic engineering, DNA sequencing, microarrays, PCR, and other genomic and proteomic tools to understand pathogens better.

We've also developed vaccines and potent antivirals and antibiotics that fight diseases. A proof of this is how much longer life expectancy is Today than it was before the 1940's when antibiotics were invented.

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