WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | 15 possible swine flu cases in NC, three in Charlotte

15 possible swine flu cases in NC, three in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Health officials say there are possibly 15 suspect cases of swine flu in North Carolina and three of the cases may be in Mecklenburg County.

The Mecklenburg County Health Department released information about the suspected cases during a press conference Tuesday afternoon. 

One of the cases involves a person who traveled to Mexico and had a layover at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on a return flight to Richmond, Virginia.

In the second case, a person from Texas was around a sick family member and came to Charlotte to visit friends or family. While in Charlotte, the visitor became sick and was taken to a local hospital emergency room.

The third suspect case involves a person from Charlotte-Mecklenburg who recently traveled to Mexico and later got sick.

Health officials have issued isolation orders for all three of these individuals.

The first two are now in isolation at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. The third person is in isolation at home.

Test results on each of the three people are pending. The health department is expecting to receive results on one of the individuals as early as Tuesday afternoon.

Information about the flights in which these people were on will be publicized by the health department if any of the three test positive.  In that case, all the passengers who were on the plane will be contacted by their local departments.

People with close contact to the person from Texas and the individual from Charlotte-Mecklenburg who traveled to Mexico will be quarantined.

Health officials say isolation orders are reserved for sick individuals.  A quarantine is issued for healthy people who have been exposed.  They must remain quarantined for a maximum of 7 days or until a test is found negative.

Carolinas Medical Center has dozens of rooms ready if more people need to be isolated.

Posted by Logan Smith