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The Dartmouth
July 9, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Three 'suspected' flu cases found negative

Three of the five Dartmouth students with "suspected" cases of swine flu have tested negative for the virus, director of Health Services John Turco said at an information session held for members of the Dartmouth community on Monday. Test results for the other two cases are still pending, and two additional students were identified on Monday as "suspected" cases, Turco said.

There are currently five "probable" cases and one "confirmed" case of swine flu in New Hampshire, State Public Health director Jose Montero said in a press conference on Monday afternoon. The additional "probable" case announced Monday involves a 13-year-old individual from Nashua, N.H. Test results from the Centers for Disease Control are pending for all five of these "probable" cases, including the Hanover Inn employee identified Friday.

The test results for three of the "suspected" Dartmouth cases of swine flu returned Monday from a state laboratory in Concord, N.H. All three tested negative for influenza Type A, of which the H1N1 -- or swine flu -- strain is a subtype, Turco said in an interview with The Dartmouth.

These three students will no longer remain in isolation, although they have been asked to take precautions to prevent spreading the illness responsible for their flu-like symptoms, Turco said.

College health officials expect the results of the two pending tests to arrive from the state laboratory within the next few days, Turco said. Samples of the new cases have also been sent for testing, he said.

Turco hosted two information sessions on Monday, at which he updated members of the Dartmouth community on the current status of the virus at the College and elsewhere in New Hampshire. Approximately 98 percent of the samples from "suspected" cases in New Hampshire tested by the state in the past week have been negative for influenza Type A, Turco said.

Samples from individuals suspected to have the virus are first tested in Concord to determine whether the individuals are presenting cases of influenza Type A or Type B. If a sample from a "suspected" case tests positive for Type B or for a known strain of Type A, then the individual does not have the H1N1, or swine flu, strain of the Type A virus. If a sample tests positive for an unknown strain of Type A, or if it tests negative for both Type A and Type B, the case is considered "probable." The sample is then sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory in Atlanta, Ga., to confirm whether it contains the H1N1 strain, Turco explained.

Out of the approximately 200 "suspected" cases tested in Concord, Turco said, only six have been identified as "probable." One case was later confirmed as positive for swine flu at the CDC in Atlanta, he said.

The turnaround time for receiving results from the state is likely to shorten in the coming days, Turco said. While processing currently takes two to five days, that time could be reduced to 24 hours, he said. The Concord state laboratory may further reduce the turnaround time for confirming "probable" cases in the near future by testing for the specific H1N1 strain, Turco said.

"It's very reassuring that we're going to be able to get answers a lot more quickly instead of having to worry about these 'suspected' cases," Turco said.

Given the recently broadened definition of a "suspected" case, Turco said he expects the number of "suspected" cases in the state to grow, and that most of these cases will eventually test negative for swine flu.

A "suspected" case refers to an individual who has a fever of at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit in addition to other flu symptoms, including cough, nasal congestion and sore throat, Turco said. The definition no longer requires, as it had in the past, that the individual has traveled to a community where the flu is confirmed to be prevalent, he said.

Montero also announced a change in state guidelines for testing "suspected" cases during Monday's press conference. Due to a lack of knowledge about the disease, the state had previously encouraged the testing of all "suspected" cases to gather information, he said. Because swine flu disease symptoms have thus far been mainly mild to moderate in the United States, the state is recommending that testing be conducted only for certain high-risk groups. These groups include health workers, patients with severe symptoms and individuals with preexisting health conditions, he said.

College health officials will continue to recommend that people with new "suspected" cases undergo voluntary isolation, Turco said. Students who live in college residence halls and cannot fully isolate themselves in their rooms will be asked to check into Dick's House, where they will be treated with antiviral drugs to protect clinic staff and other patients, Turco said.

College officials plan to continue to test students who check into Dick's House and are suspected to have the virus, since these students are at an increased risk of exposing others to the virus, Turco said. He added that College officials will meet with state health officials later this week to develop a more specific approach to testing in a college environment.

The College's Emergency Policy Group and Emergency Management Group are meeting regularly to formulate and implement the College's response to the outbreak, Provost Barry Scherr said in an e-mail to The Dartmouth.

College officials are not currently planning to cancel College classes, activities or events, but have not ruled out the possibility of doing so if the situation worsens significantly, Scherr said.

College officials will continue to monitor the spread of the flu virus and may change policies, including travel recommendations and medical procedures, based on the nature of the situation, Scherr said.

Concerns raised by attendees at Monday's informations sessions included how to minimize transmission of the virus and the College's procedures for treating sick individuals.

Student body president Molly Bode '09 announced at the second information session that Student Assembly plans to distribute free hand sanitizer to students in Thayer Dining Hall and Collis Center on Thursday. College health officials have recommended that individuals use good hygiene to prevent the spread of illness.

Turco said that the Mexico Language Study Abroad program participants, who were evacuated from Cholula, Mexico last Wednesday, are in good health and have not exhibited any flu-like symptoms since beginning a seven-day isolation period at their homes.