Three cases of the swine flu, now called North American Influenza, have been confirmed in Guadalupe County, Texas. No related deaths have been reported in the U.S., and no confirmed or suspicious cases exist Texas A&M’s area, said Dr. Martha Dannenbaum, director of Student Health Services.
Symptoms include sudden fever, body aches, coughing and unexplained fatigue. Students with any of these symptoms or who have been around others who are ill are encouraged to schedule an appointment or walk-in at Beutel Health Center between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
North American Influenza is spread by close exposure to ill people, such as being coughed on, sneezed on or touched. The Center for Disease Control is developing a vaccine for the virus, which should be included in the new flu shot this fall. The 2008 flu shot did not contain a vaccine against North American Influenza. The disease does respond to antiviral prescription drugs commonly administered to flu patients such as Tamiflu and Relenza.