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SALT LAKE CITY -- Health officials announced seven new confirmed swine cases in the state Wednesday afternoon, as well as a change in how they diagnose future cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has now authorized the local health departments to begin testing in Utah at state laboratories for the swine flu.
The kits arrived this weekend, so they're all set to start working on through a backlog of 150 samples.
Dr. David Sundwall, executive director of the Utah Department of Health, said, "I think this is a turning point in our response to the flu."
Probable cases were being sent to Atlanta for testing, resulting in about six-day waits. Local testing can be completed in 48 hours.
The Morgan-Weber Health Department says a 71-year-old man probably got the swine flu while on vacation in Mexico. He sought medical attention and has since recovered.
The Salt Lake Valley Health Department said two of its 11 probable cases came back positive for the swine flu.
The first individual is a 22-year-old Salt Lake County man who was not hospitalized and has fully recovered. The second, a 21-year-old woman, also not hospitalized, is recovering at home.
Neither had traveled outside of Salt Lake County prior to becoming ill.
A Utah County man in his 30s is currently hospitalized in Las Vegas. He is one of a handful of cases nationwide needing extra attention.
Sundwall explained, "Most of them have comorbidity. They have other illnesses that would put them at risk."
Wednesday also marked the reopening of several schools including Park City and Judge Memorial high schools, and Our Lady of Lourdes and Redwood elementary schools.
Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley said, "We took some regular precautions, cleaned surface areas, door knobs."
Special precautions are being taken at the Salt Lake County Jail after officials learned a prisoner had been living with a child who is hospitalized with flu-like symptoms.
Lt. Don Hutson, with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office, said, "We sent him up to our acute medical care area, and we have negative air rooms, which is essentially isolation in the jail."
State officials have also seen a rise in the number of regular flu cases being diagnosed. They don't think more people are coming down with the flu, but more people are getting checked out.
Future of H1N1
Even though the H1N1 influenza isn't as virulent as previously thought, health officials say we'll see plenty of the virus in the future. Federal officials say the H1N1 influenza will be back.
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Public health officials keeping track of flu-like illnesses
The H1N1 virus may pack its bags and go on leave this summer, but public health watchdogs are not about to take a rest.Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says, "H1N1 will likely reemerge down the road, even as early as the coming fall."
State officials don't think it will come back. They think it won't go away in the first place.
Utah Department of Health spokesman Tom Hudachko said, "We fully expect to see this virus circulating throughout the summer and into next flu season as well."
Hudachko says if it does stay through next flu season, they'll be watching closely.
"There will be a different virus out there circulating that people are going to have to keep their eye on," he said.
He says there's nothing that indicates the virus will mutate and get stronger. If a vaccine is created and distributed and it needs to be given in addition to the regular flu shot, Hudachko says the state will have the resources to do that.
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Story compiled with information from Sarah Dallof , Adam Thomas , Randall Jeppesen , and Paul Nelson.
