LAKEPORT – Lake County remains clear of the swine origin H1N1 virus, although Lake County's medical officer told the Board of Supervisors that she thinks it's just a matter of time before the illness makes its way here.

Dr. Karen Tait gave the board the update on Tuesday.

“So far we have not yet identified any confirmed cases in Lake County,” she said.

Tait reported that there are 69 confirmed H1N1 cases in California – including one in Sonoma County, one in Solano County, four in Marin County and four in Sacramento County – and 121 nationwide.

The numbers have shown a significant increase, but Tait explained that the state is ramping up the testing capacity at the Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory, which has created an artificial increase in the apparent number of cases.

A report Tait's department released later on Tuesday explained that a new emphasis on testing hospitalized patients may boost reported cases of severe illness. Again, however, Tait cautioned that those increases in numbers would not by themselves indicate a worsening of the virus' disease-causing characteristics.

She told the board that her department is working closely with schools and health care facilities to monitor for signs of H1N1 flu.

Tait said they're also seeing early indications that the flu's spread may be slowing down. However, she added, “We could see future waves of illness.”

To put concerns over the H1N1 flu in perspective, Tait said that, nationwide, the seasonal flu kills about 35,000 people annually.

“Influenza does have a significant impact, even on a seasonal basis,” she said.

Board members joked that the H1N1 virus is being used to divert attention away from the economy.

The H1N1 flu may not be as serious as originally thought, with Tait reporting that the overall pattern of illness in U.S. cases has been mild. While many comparisons are being made between the impact of the new H1N1 influenza and seasonal flu viruses, the main difference is that people don’t have built-in immunity to the new virus.

Tait's office reported later on Tuesday that much of Lake County’s response has involved pushing information out to the many entities that need to participate in an organized response. Efforts are attempting to balance appropriate levels of concern with actions.

She said they don't want to overreact or underact. The goal is to limit the spread of infection while a vaccine is developed, which should take around six months. Afterward, health officials can take more specific steps to block the H1N1 flu's spread.

Tait told Lake County News in a recent interview that while the H1N1 virus has been ruled a pandemic – which is an epidemic that can spread across continents or the entire world – that doesn't mean that it's necessarily a killer.

Flu viruses are endemic to a number of species, particularly migratory water fowl, as well as pigs and humans, Tait said.

She said if an animal is infected with a couple of different flu viruses at the same time, the genetic material in the two viruses can mix and create a new virus with a unique genetic combination.

“That's possible in this case,” Tait said, adding that other mutations also are possible.

“What we're calling the swine flue virus actually has elements of genetic material that are characteristic not only of swine species but bird and human, also,” said Tait. “But I don’t know that anyone knows exactly where it came from.”

She explained that the H1N1 flu has an “attack rate” of 22 percent, which is the likelihood a person will get it if they have close contact with someone who has the virus. She said that's comparable to the seasonal flu attack rate.

Another curious aspect to the influenza picture is that health officials are still detecting seasonal flu at a time in the year when they would normally expect it to be gone, said Tait. That means some of the suspicious flu cases could simply be the remnants of the seasonal flu.

“We’re actually asking both doctors and patients to be a little judicious about the idea of testing because there really is not a clinical lab test for swine flu,” nor are there resources to test everyone who is sick, she said.

California Department of Public Health has created a new public information hotline, both in English and Spanish, at 1-888-865-0564. The hotline is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Other information about influenza can be found at www.co.lake.ca.us, http://ww2.cdph.ca.gov and www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..