A Lincoln County woman in her late 20s has the H1N1 flu, health officials said, and they are waiting on test results of a half-dozen or so potential victims.

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Officials are concerned, closely watching the situation and are not alarmed, said Shannon Vanderheiden, director of the West Central Health Department in North Platte.

The flu victim is at home and apparently steadily recovering, Vanderheiden said.

The case is the first of H1N1 flu in Lincoln County. It is one of 148 confirmed in Nebraska, according to data compiled and monitored by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Only six of the victims in the state have been hospitalized.

"We want people to be aware," Vanderheiden said Thursday.

Scot Cockson, the executive director of the Maranatha Bible Camp near Maxwell, said about a half-dozen people with flu symptoms are currently living in separate quarters facility at Maranatha because they tested positive for influenza. The H1N1 virus has not been ruled out nor confirmed, Cockson said. Final test results are expected soon.

Vanderheiden said precautions against the virus are simple and often practiced. She encourages everyone to wash their hands a few times each day, to cover their mouths when they cough and to stay home if they are sick.

Early treatment with standard flu remedies remains the best course of action, according to the national Center for Disease Control.

Where from, where at

Most H1N1 cases in the state are in eastern Nebraska where 109 cases are confirmed in four counties Douglas (Omaha), Lancaster (Lincoln), Madison (Norfolk) and Platte (Columbus).

Thirty-eight new cases were confirmed this week in Nebraska, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The H1N1 flu (also called novel H1N1 influenza A) is a new virus that caused illness in Mexico and the United States in March and April 2009. It has spread slowly around the world since then. According to the national Center for Disease Control, 127 people in the United States have died from the virus. None of the deaths were in Nebraska.

By June 3, all 50 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were reporting cases of H1N1 infection.

It’s thought that the novel flu spreads the same way as other flues, by coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus. It may also be spread by touching infected objects and then touching the nose or mouth.

The novel H1N1 infection causes a wide range of flu symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In addition, people also have reported nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, the CDC says.

In Nebraska, only one person over the age of 65 has caught the virus. The ages and number of cases so far in the state:

Ages 0-4 – 12.

Ages 5-24 – 89.

Ages 25-64 – 46.

Ages 65+ - 1.

H1N1 symptoms (from Nebraska Health and Human Services)

If you are moderately to severely ill with a cough, sore throat, fever and body aches (and perhaps vomiting and diarrhea), see your physician as soon as possible. First call the physician’s office and tell staff what symptoms you are experiencing. The physician may want to see you separately from other patients so that you don’t expose them in the waiting room. Ask to be tested for influenza. Your doctor can prescribe an antiviral for you, which will ease your symptoms and possibly shorten the duration of your illness.

Treatment

CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body.

If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).

Precautions

· Stay informed. Health officials will provide additional information as it becomes available.

· Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

· Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

· Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

· Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

· If you are sick, do not go to work or school for 7 days or until your symptoms go away (whichever is long). This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

· Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

· Develop a family emergency plan as a precaution. This should include storing a supply of extra food, medicines, facemasks and other essential supplies.