The number of swine flu cases in our area continues to grow.
There are now 258 confirmed cases in the state, and 122 of those are in Chicago, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There are an additional 22 probable cases.
Illinois laboratories are now able to perform confirmatory testing for the H1N1 virus, which is why the state has seen a large increase in the number of confirmed cases over the past couple of days, according to a release from IDPH.
The city of Chicago has 122 confirmed cases and six probable cases, according to the IDPH Web site, while suburban Cook County has 56 confirmed and six probable. DuPage County has 29 confirmed cases, Kane County 18, Will County 17, Lake County five, McHenry County two, and Kendall County one.
To stay healthy, IDPH recommends the three Cs -- Clean: properly wash your hands frequently; Cover: Cover your cough and sneeze; and Contain: contain your germs by staying home if you're sick.
People who have questions about H1N1 flu can call the Illinois flu hotline at (866) 848-2094 for English and (866) 241-2138 for Spanish, or visit www.ready.illinois.gov.
