County officials spoke at a news conference Wednesday afternoon about the three new confirmed cases of swine flu in the county and the declaration of a local state of emergency.
Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten said the latest victims were a 3-year-old girl, her 38-year-old father and a 23-year-old man. In addition, Wooten said the county is investigating seven additional probable cases.
"The numbers are changing hourly," Wooten said.
Wooten stressed that all the cases in San Diego were mild, including that of the young girl, who was hospitalized overnight on Sunday. She was released by noon on Monday.
Also at the news conference, County Supervisor Dianne Jacob said the county had on its board for review and possible ratification next Tuesday a local state of emergency declaration. She said the declaration would only be taken as a precautionary step and would make it easier for the county to get the necessary supplies as they became required.
Dr. John S. Bradley, the director of the division of infectious diseases at Rady Children's Hospital, said county is evaluating the girl's other family members since some of them had a low grade fever. He also said the child was from San Diego but had traveled to Tijuana. According to Bradley, the girl was back to normal, having been treated with a child's dose of Tamiflu.
The county has 50,000 doses of antivirals on hand, Wooten said, adding that more are on the way.
Nationally, there have been 91 confirmed cases in 10 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you have any concerns about swine flu or would like more information, dial 211 for the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services hotline or you can also call 858-715-2250 for San Diego County's Swine Influence Information Line.
