Kansas reports 34 flu cases
Friday, May 15, 2009
TOPEKA — Kansas now has 34 cases of H1N1 flu after three children and an adult were diagnosed. The new cases include a child in Geary County, child in Riley County and child and adult in Saline County.
These diagnoses came a day after a second soldier at Fort Riley was confirmed with being infected with swine flu, the site considered by many historians to be the epicenter of the 1918 flu outbreak.
Lt. Col. Paul Benne, chief of preventive medicine at Irwin Army Community Hospital, said the soldier lived on post and had recently completed a 24-hour duty assignment with another soldier who was previously confirmed with the virus.
“We have identified others that may have been affected. All of them have been screened and are being watched very closely,” Benne said.
The first soldier and his child both have the virus and live in Junction City, where they are recovering. The second soldier has been isolated in a location at Fort Riley, Benne said.