2 in area contract swine flu

Two local residents have contracted the swine flu and are recuperating from the illness, now officially considered a global pandemic, area health officials said Thursday.

Thomas Jefferson Health District officials identified both patients as male, one an adult and one an adolescent, and said the two are from the Charlottesville-Albemarle area. Neither illness was life-threatening, officials said.

“Everyone is doing fine and making a good recovery,” said Elizabeth Davies, epidemiologist for the Thomas Jefferson Health District. “No one feels good when they have the flu, whether it’s seasonal or not.”

The World Health Organization has officially declared the swine flu, also known as H1N1 Influenza Type A, to be a pandemic as the virus is undergoing communitywide transmission in Australia as well as in North America. Such spread in two distinct regions of the world is the primary criterion for raising the alert level.

It’s the first such declaration since the Hong Kong flu in 1968.

“Globally, we have good reason to believe that this pandemic, at least in its early days, will be of moderate severity,” said Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of WHO. “As we know from experience, severity can vary, depending on many factors, from one country to another.”

Chan said most patients seem to experience mild symptoms and make quick, full recoveries. She also noted that the there have been a relatively small number of deaths related to the virus, which has affected mostly people under 25.

State officials estimate about 84 cases of the virus have been identified in Virginia. The majority have been in the Central Shenan-doah region, between the Blue Ridge Mountains and West Virginia; Northern Virginia; and the region near Norfolk.

Davies said the presence of the virus in Central Virginia means that the region is in league with the rest of the world.

“We’re doing pretty much the same as everyone else. We know it’s circulating and it’s here and we can expect to see more cases,” Davis said. “The more you look, the more you’re likely to find it.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion, the virus was named “swine flu” because its genes were identified as coming from viruses normally found in pigs in North America. Further research has shown the virus is comprised of genes from flu viruses from pigs in Europe and Asia and viruses from birds and human genes.

It was first discovered earlier this year in Mexico and made its way into the U.S. in April. It has since been found in Asia, Australia, Europe and other locations.

“Because it’s a new virus, we’re trying to learn more about it, how it’s communicated and how to treat it,” Davis said. “So far it behaves very much like seasonal influenza.”

The Washington Post News Service contributed to this story.