Amador County – Amador County Health Officer Dr. Robert Hartmann is relaying the news to Amador County residents of a recently announced H1N1, or “swine flu” global pandemic and what it means for Amador County. On June 11, the World Health organization raised the worldwide Pandemic Influenza Alert Level to Phase Six, the highest such designation for a flu outbreak. According to Hartmann, “this declaration is based on the sustained world wide spread of the H1N1 virus, not an increased severity of illness.” Most cases of the virus are relatively mild, and officials in the U.S. have been assuring Americans that the declaration means little in this country, where a pandemic mode has been in effect since late April. The U.S. currently accounts for roughly half of the world's swine flu cases — nearly 17,855 cases in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In California, there have been six deaths. One case of the virus was discovered in an Amador County man who returned from Mexico in mid-April, but Hartmann assures that that case was mild and the man recovered to full health without any propagation of the illness. “Amador County Public Health is continuing to meet with their partners - Sutter Amador Hospital, Amador County Sheriffs Office of Emergency Services, Department of Corrections, Amador County Unified School District and many others - to plan for the upcoming fall flu season,” says Hartmann. He is asking all individuals to take the same basic steps they would to avoid any other flu virus. This includes washing your hands often with soapy, hot water for 20-30 seconds, staying home if you are sick, covering your sneezes and coughs, and planning for all family members to receive a seasonal flu vaccine this fall. Please contact Amador County Public Health at 223-6407 if you have further questions. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.