By Candice Ludlow
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-835076.mp3
Memphis, TN – The Memphis and Shelby County Health Department announced today the first probable case of swine flu in Shelby County. Candice Ludlow reports.
Authorities closed Incarnation Elementary School in Collierville today after officials announced that a 12-year-old student from the Catholic school has tested positive for swine flu. The tests have a 95 percent accuracy rate, but further testing will be done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
The child is a Shelby County resident and is being treated with antiviral medication to combat the flu. The Memphis and Shelby County Health Department is also providing the family and anyone who's come in close contact with the 12-year-old anti-viral medications.
Shelby County Mayor AC Wharton says the county is working closely with the Tennessee Department of Health Department.
"Once the state accepted the conclusions of St. Jude here as a confirmed case, we worked with them to coordinate our response. They've been quite supportive, as you know. We've followed the same protocol that Governor Bredesen followed in getting his information out. And the key thing in this protocol is to be quite candid with the public. There are questions we do not know. As of this minute, I have not received a confirmation as to how this child may have been exposed to the virus. We have some unconfirmed information, that directly or indirectly, it may have been as result of someone have traveled to Mexico. I will not say who that person was. We have not confirmed that. It is not to say that it was the student who actually made the travel. We simply have a report that there was an exposure involving the country of Mexico," Wharton said.
This is the second probable case in Tennessee. The other one is in Williamson County.