Fifteen members of the Air Force Academy’s incoming freshman class have been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, according to early lab-test results, making it the largest single outbreak of swine flu in Colorado.
It’s likely that more cases will be diagnosed: Eighty-nine students, most of them “doolies,” or freshmen, have exhibited flu-like symptoms in recent days, and seasonal influenza does not typically appear until fall. Results of their tests are pending.
No one has been hospitalized, but the sick students have been isolated in an academy dorm, and academy officials are hopeful the outbreak has peaked because only one new case emerged on Friday.
“We are cautiously optimistic,” said Col. Ken Knight, the top doctor at the academy.
Test results of the 15 H1N1 cases have been sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the clearinghouse for U.S. cases. The CDC provides official confirmation of cases.
Because of the outbreak, academy officials canceled Doolie Day Out, a much-anticipated event that would have allowed the 1,344 freshman students to leave the campus and the grind of basic training to spend time with sponsor families.
But a trip to Jack’s Valley, in which freshmen undergo military field training, is still planned to begin Monday for those well enough to participate. Medical staff members attend the training.
No restrictions are being placed on visitors to the academy.
At a news conference Friday, spokesman Brett Ashworth said the academy tried to inform everyone of the outbreak in a timely manner.
Tracking H1N1
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 146 confirmed or probable cases of the H1N1 virus in Colorado since reporting started in April. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s latest numbers report 174 confirmed or probable Colorado cases. The CDC reports this discrepancy is due to different reporting schedules required from state health departments and the CDC.
Based on weekly CDC reports, these are the confirmed or probable cases in Colorado, by week:
Colorado cases
Date Cases Change
July 10 146 10
July 2 136 33
June 26 103 0
June 19 103 28
June 12 75 0
June 5 75 7
May 29 68 9
May 22 59 4
May 15 55 30
May 8 25 23
May 1 2 2
April 24 0 NA
Barry Osborne, Denver Post
