Army officials are reporting that a total of 19 people have been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, at the Fort Gordon Army Base near Augusta.

Swine flu is a pandemic, especially causing serious problems in Mexico. It has also spread to the U.S., although the problems are not as severe.

In Georgia, the virus is considered widespread, and one person from Cobb County has died from it.

The 19 at Fort Gordon, meanwhile, have either recovered or are receiving medical treatment.

The U.S. Department of Defense says about 2,715 people in the U.S. military, or their beneficiaries, have the disease.

Health officials say that as of last week, only one person in the Augusta community – and not the base – has been sickened by H1N1, as compared to the 19 at the base. But that doesn’t mean the problem is any worse on the base than it is in the civilian population.

Col. Ed Boland, a doctor and the head of preventive medicine at Fort Gordon, explains the situation to GPB’s Mary Ellen Cheatham in the audio link below.

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Links:

U.S. Department of Defense Pandemic Watchboard
Fort Gordon
U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention's Swine Flu Website

Tags: Georgia, health, Augusta, Cobb County, Fort Gordon, U.S. Department of Defense, swine flu, H1N1, military, pandemic, Mexico, virus, civilians, Ed Boland, Mary Ellen Cheatham