THE TENSION: US Navy Updates Confirmed Cases of H1N1 (Swine Flu) to 79

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WASHINGTON, May 29, 2009 -- The Navy updated its confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza May 29 to 79 sailors.

The Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED), the headquarters for Navy Medicine, continues to monitor the health of the force to ensure necessary precautions are being taken to educate and safeguard Sailors, civilian personnel and family members.

"During the initial outbreak, the Navy Medicine enterprise worked closely with the other Services in surveillance and detection efforts," said Cmdr. Steven Jeffs, chief of the BUMED Medical Operations Center.

According to Jeffs, Navy Medicine is also responsible for the healthcare of operational naval forces, many of which serve in close quarters on board ships and submarines.

"It is important to detect and isolate cases early and effectively and implement the right health protection measures to preserve mission capability of our deployed vessels and units," said Jeffs. "We have been very successful and the confirmed cases of H1N1 in the Navy have been mild and few."

In response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak, BUMED conducted and continues to conduct disease surveillance through the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC) in Norfolk, Va. and Navy Medicine's CONUS and OCONUS laboratories. Information and public health guidance related to disease reporting, prevention and treatment has been provided to Navy/Marine Corps medical leaders, public health professionals and medical providers via multiple means.

The Naval Health Research Center was designated as an H1N1 confirmatory lab by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention May 7 after being provided the necessary materials for designation. NHRC is a leading research and development laboratory for the Department of Defense. The lab serves as a clinical reference laboratory that provided higher level public health testing and confirmation capabilities.

Additional information on the H1N1 influenza is available at: