NEW FLU CASES CONFIRMED AT SDSU & POLINSKY FOSTER CHILDREN CENTER; NO CLOSURES AT THE SCHOOLS, BUT STATE PRISON SYSTEM HALTS VISITS AMID FLU FEARS

May 4, 2009 (San Diego)—San Diego County now has 24 confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza (the World Health Organization’s new name for swine flu). New cases include a 20-year-old SDSU student and a child at the Polinsky Center for foster children.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control have previously called for closing of schools where the virus is confirmed—leading to closure of three schools earlier this week in San Diego County. But health officials now conlude that the flu strain in the U.S. has been mild, resulting in only one death (a toddler in Texas). As a result, authorities are now discussion options such as closing only certain classrooms.

Yesterday, however, the California State Prison system announced a halt to all visitations with prisoners at every prison in the state system until further notice, after one inmate was diagnosed with the H1N1 flu.

For more information on H1N1 influenza, call the County’s non-emergency 211 line or visit www.cdc.gov.