Members of a local little league team now in Curacao for a baseball tournament have tested positive for the H1N1 virus, more commonly known as the swine flu.
Health Commissioner designate Julia Sheen said Friday she has been in contact with a Health official on the Dutch Caribbean island, and learned that seven of the 14 children on the team had begun exhibiting flu-like symptoms on Wednesday.
All seven children were screened for influenza and the initial results were sent to Holland for further testing, according to a Health Department press release. The results came in late Friday, and confirmed that five of the team’s members had tested positive for H1N1. A physician in Curacao said the children were doing well and were no longer exhibiting symptoms, the release said.
Children from the other teams in the tournament also appeared to be ill, but it was not clear Friday whether they had also tested positive for the swine flu, the release said.
The team — which made the trip along with three coaches, four chaperones and a few parents — is scheduled to return to the territory this weekend.
Influenza symptoms include sore throat, cough, body ache, fatigue and a fever of more than 100 degrees. Residents are urged to sanitize or wash their hands with soap and water, cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing and to stay at home if they become ill to avoid spreading the virus.
