Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
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The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, flanked by Iowa Department of Public Health Director Tom Newton and State Epidemiologist Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, gave Hawkeye state residents a reason to be cautious this afternoon during a press conference in Des Moines:
The state suspects two individuals in the state of having the H1N1 virus, the so-called swine flu.
The two suspected cases, one from Clinton County and one from Des Moines County, have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control for confirmation. State officials expect to have additional information on the samples Thursday.
The state, which routinely monitors and tests influenza strains, has sent roughly 160 samples to the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory. Of those samples, the two in question were isolated as possibly being from the same strain that has made so many sick, first in Mexico and then internationally. To date, 91 cases have been confirmed in 10 states.
Both the suspected cases in Iowa stem from individuals who had previously been in areas with high concentrations of the flu virus. The two people, who were not personally identified during the press conference, did not require hospitalization as a result of the virus and are reportedly in the recovery stage of the illness.
The case from Clinton County is an adult male resident of California. He is believed to have traveled within Clinton and Scott counties in northeast Iowa.
The Des Moines County case is a local woman who recently returned from a vacation in Mexico. She is believed to have traveled in her home county as well as Johnson and Muscatine counties in northeastern Iowa.
State health officials urge that the best defense against the virus is hand washing or use of hand sanitizers if soap and water is not available.
“The steps people take every day to keep themselves from catching the common flu bug can be used to prevent potential infection in this instance,” Culver said.
State health officials have implemented a toll-free hot line for the public to ask questions about the flu, 1-800-447-1985. Information has also been placed on the Department of Public Health’s Website.
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