PONTOTOC COUNTY, OK -- The swine flu, or H1N1, has been a top headline for more than a week now. On Tuesday the H1N1 virus officially hit Texoma. Shelby Levins has more from Pontotoc County, where the first case of the H1N1 in Oklahoma influenza has been confirmed.
Health officials announced the confirmation of first case of swine flu in Oklahoma at the Pontotoc County Health Department late Tuesday morning, where state health officials said people should be alert but not scared.
Michael Echelle, who serves the administrative director of the Pontotoc County Health Department, says the virus was confirmed in an adult Pontotoc County woman. In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Echelle said the woman had just returned from a trip to Mexico when she began feeling sick. Nurses from the health department took a sample from the woman in her home, and on Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the results.
Echelle emphasized people in Pontotoc County or sounding areas should not be alarmed. They say the woman followed precautions when she wasn't feeling well and stayed at home.
Dr. Kristy Bradley with the state health department says four more "probable" specimens taken from patients have been sent to the federal Centers for Disease Control for testing.
Health officials are saying the best advice is still to wash your hands properly and frequently, avoid contact with people who aren't feeling well, and stay at home if you're feeling sick.
Oklahoma joins 38 other states with cases of swine flu confirmed through the CDC.
-The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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