Regardless of what illness they may have, patients at Ball State University's Amelia T. Wood Health Center will have their temperature taken to detect possible swine flu cases.
Dr. Kent Bullis, medical director for the health center, said he is not worried about an outbreak of the viral strain, which has killed more than 100 Mexicans and led to school closings in five U.S. states, but the health center is taking everyone's temperature as a precaution.
There has been one report of swine flu in Ohio, 40 in the U.S., but there have been no reported cases in Indiana as of 1 p.m. today, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms for the illness match those of typical seasonal cases of the flu, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. Symptoms include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people may also experience a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Bullis said students shouldn't worry about having the swine flu unless they have a temperature of at least 100.5 degrees and have recently visited Mexico, Texas or San Diego.
"There's a lot of runny noses and colds going around. I don't think it's in everyone's best interest to be running immediately to the doctor," he said.
For patients who have temperatures higher than 100.5 degrees, health center staff will separate them to prevent the airborne illness from spreading, he said. The patients will then have their blood work sent to a lab operated by the Indiana Health Commissioner for testing. There were no cases at the health center as of this morning, he said.
Bullis said the university has been keeping updated on CDC reports about the virus.
"Those of us in the administration are keeping our eyes on things pretty closely," he said. "At this point in time, I think there's no reason for alarm. I think that the main response a normal person should have to this should be remain informed."
For more of this story, read tomorrow's issue of The Ball State Daily News.
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