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Amphib Iwo Jima reports 21 swine flu cases

The Navy on Tuesday confirmed 21 cases of the so-called swine flu among 50 sailors and Marines who reported flu-like symptoms onboard the amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima.

The number of confirmed cases could rise as more tests are completed, said Cmdr. Cappy Surette, a Navy spokesman. The 21 service members diagnosed with the flu have recovered, he said.

Three other service members, who had been temporarily assigned to Iwo Jima for Fleet Week, tested positive for the H1N1 virus, he said. Because they were sick before the ship left May 27, they remained at a Veterans Affairs hospital in New York for treatment.

The Iwo Jima is scheduled to return to Norfolk, Va., later this week.

“There’s no operational impact,” Surette said. “The cases were mild.”

There are no plans to take aggressive measures such as treating the entire ship with Tamiflu, as was done on board the amphibious transport dock Dubuque. The Navy decided in mid-May to postpone the Dubuque’s scheduled June 1 deployment after 28 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus among the crew.

Since then, Navy and health officials have learned more about the severity of the virus and how to treat it, Surette said.

“This was back when people were dying in Mexico, and we didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “We know a lot more than we did then.”

Crew members have been advised to seek treatment if they aren’t feeling well and to take proper precautions, such as washing their hands, to prevent the spread of the virus, Surette said.

The Navy has had 147 confirmed cases of H1N1 virus, Surette said. All of the cases were mild, and most of the sailors have returned to duty.