Kane County health officials warn swine flu isn't gone

Kane County Health Department officials are warning residents that the H1N1 flu outbreak isn't quite over yet.

The health department shuttered another school late last week after about two-thirds of one classroom called in sick with flu-like symptoms. Illinois also recorded it's first H1N1 death, a Chicago man with additional medical problems who succumbed to the illness over the weekend.

Kane County Health Department Executive Director Paul Kuehnert told a county board committee Tuesday that health professionals are gearing up for H1N1 to make a comeback during the traditional fall flu season.

A vaccine is expected to be available by that time, he said. Recipients most likely will need two flu shots, Kuehnert said, rather than the traditional single shot because it will come too late in the vaccine distribution process to incorporate it into this year's flu shot strain.

"One of the things we'd like to emphasize is this is not over yet," Kuehnert said. "It's very clear it's very easy to spread."

Kuehnert said schools have been particularly problematic because students and teachers have a relatively small amount of personal space and are more likely to come into contact with the virus.

He compared the close-quarters nature of schools to a 2,000-square-foot house having 60 occupants. A total of seven Kane County schools have experienced closures because of flu concerns so far.

In other news, health department officials said the county already had its first rabid bat of the year. The bat was found in Dundee Township. Officials advised homeowners to immediately notify the health department if a bat is discovered inside a home, even if it is believed no person or animal inside the home was bitten. About 99 percent of rabid bat reports the county experiences involve bats found inside homes.