Swine flu case first in Clarke school district

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.

A Hilsman Middle School student was diagnosed with H1N1 swine flu over the weekend - the first reported case of swine flu among Athens public school students, a Clarke County School District spokeswoman said.

The student's parents notified a teacher at the Eastside school Sunday, school district spokeswoman Anisa Sullivan Jimenez said Wednesday.

"The parents knew to follow protocol and not bring the child to school on Monday," Jimenez said.

The student is under a doctor's care and is feeling better after taking antibiotics, according to a letter Principal Tony Price sent home with parents Monday.

"Please be advised that the student will not return to school until released from the doctor," Price said in the letter. "I will direct our teachers and staff to be even more diligent in terms of keeping their classrooms/school clean and re-emphasize the importance of washing our hands at all times."

The school district adheres to Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention guidelines for H1N1 flu, which say students should remain at home until at least 24 hours after all symptoms have passed and a doctor agrees it's OK to return to class, Jimenez said.

The swine flu isn't as serious as health officials feared last spring, when 500 schools closed for days to stave off a potential epidemic.

The CDC now urges school districts not to close schools and treat H1N1 more like the seasonal flu, asking students to cover their mouths and wash their hands and stay home if they get sick.

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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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