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UNC officials monitoring H1N1 case, possible exposures

Posted on May 28, 2009May 28, 2009 by Staff

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Chapel Hill — A health-care worker with what was described as a mild case of H1N1 — the so-called “swine flu” — has fully recovered after being voluntarily quarantined in her Orange County home.

Meanwhile, UNC Health Care officials are closely monitoring 17 patients who may have been exposed to the disease at the Durham pediatrics clinic run by UNC where she worked.

UNC announced on Friday (May 22) that an employee at its Highgate Family Medical Center had a confirmed case of H1N1. The clinic is near the intersection of Fayetteville Road and N.C. 54.

Orange County Health Director Rosemary Summers confirmed that the worker was in voluntary quarantine. The county and UNC have both declined to release the employee’s name citing patient confidentially rules.

Dr. David Weber, medical director of hospital epidemiology, said that since Friday’s announcement one of the children who had been treated at the clinic had become ill but had tested negative for H1N1. Test results on two other children who became ill are pending.

In all, 17 children and eight clinic employees were in close enough contact with the employee to be considered at-risk. Eight of the children fit that description — four of the children were less than 5 years old and four less than a year old.

The eight clinic employees were all offered anti-viral medicine. According to Centers for Disease Control guidelines, children under 5 at risk of exposure should receive anti-viral medicine. Weber said the children were receiving prophylaxis. Parents and others in the waiting room also were informed about the possible exposure and asked to report symptoms.

None of the clinic workers shows any symptoms of the flu, and they are all past the flu’s incubation period, Weber said.

Based on conversations with the clinic worker, UNC Health Care now believes she contracted the disease in New York City, Weber said.

Although no contact between the health care worker and someone known to have H1N1 has been confirmed, Weber said, the clinic worker recently had returned from a visit to the city, which has closed dozens of schools after reporting more than 330 confirmed cases.

In all, there have been 13 confirmed H1N1 cases in North Carolina. The clinic worker is the only confirmed case in Orange County.

The Citizen will continue to update this story on its website at carrborocitizen.com/main

1 thought on “UNC officials monitoring H1N1 case, possible exposures”

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