The local team made up of representatives from the county health department, Emergency Medical Services, Scotland County Memorial Hospital and the school system, took part in a statewide conference call with public health officials and members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from North Carolina.
Ron Sapp, health director of the Scotland County Health Department, said while there is no reason for the public to be alarmed, the county department "is in and will continue to be in constant communication with the state public health officials along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concerning the recent outbreak."
As of Monday, there are a handful of suspected swine flu cases in North Carolina. Investigators are gathering specimens in Raleigh to determine whether the outbreak has spread to the United States South, state health officials said Monday.
Dr. Jeffrey Engel, the state health director, said officials are involuntarily isolating patients who may have the virus.
Engel said that the suspected cases are spread out, located in various parts of the state.
"We're working very closely with providers and they are investigating cases on a daily basis," Engel said.
"It's a very fluid situation and there will be suspect cases. People travel all the time."
Investigators were gathering specimens and hope to know whether the cases are "probable" some time Tuesday, with the goal of seeking confirmations by Wednesday, said Engel.
Federal health officials have confirmed 40 cases in the United States in New York, Ohio, Kansas, Texas and California. Of those, only one person has been hospitalized and all have recovered. That is in contrast to Mexico, where the suspected death toll was at 149, with more than 1,600 cases reported.
Engel said that suspected cases are related to travel, mostly to Mexico. He said nobody has been hospitalized and that the people who may be sickened by swine flu have been ordered to in-home isolation. He declined to say specifically how many suspected cases were in the state, noting that the number is constantly changing.
The state is encouraging medical providers to only report more severe cases of flu symptoms as they are the most likely to be incidences of swine flu.
Gov. Beverly Perdue said she was monitoring the health situation closely, but she echoed the comments of Engel, who said the state was well-prepared to respond to an outbreak.
"North Carolina is equipped with a full supply of antiviral medications and personal protective supplies such as face masks," Perdue said in a statement. "We have public health teams ready to deploy to any community in our state that needs assistance."
Health officials are encouraging people who are sick to stay home from work and school, and they are encouraging residents to practice good hygiene, including frequent hand-washing.
"The health department would like to re-emphasize the importance of prevention and also to provide numbers people can call for further information," Sapp said in a statement.
"North Carolina residents who want general information about swine flu may call the NC Dept. of Health and Human Services at 1-800-662-7030 (English/Spanish) and 1-877-452-2514."
The AP contributed to this article
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