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WENTWORTH — Rockingham County health officials are trying to determine whether a resident who tested positive for the H1N1 flu virus, also known as the swine flu, may have spread the virus.

Glenn Martin, the health department director, said he was notified about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday that the person had tested positive.

It’s the county’s first confirmed case of swine flu.

The person is taking anti-viral drugs and will be on in-house isolation until symptoms have disappeared for at least 24 hours, Martin said.

Martin would not release information such as the age and gender of the patient, citing confidentiality reasons.

He said his staff is trying to learn how the patient may have contracted the virus and whether it has been spread. The infected patient does not live alone, Martin said.

“I think there are others within that household that have some flu-like illness,” he said. He did not know Wednesday afternoon whether those people had been tested.

Martin said the patient wasn’t feeling well last week and visited the doctor. Martin said he thinks the doctor started the patient on anti-viral medications.

Outbreaks of the H1N1 virus were first reported in April. Since that time, there have been more than 11,000 confirmed and probable cases reported across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

There have been 28 confirmed cases reported in North Carolina, according to the state public health agency.

The symptoms of the H1N1 virus largely mimic those of the seasonal flu.

Infected people may experience fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and some have reported diarrhea and vomiting, according to the Rockingham County Department of Public Health.

Officials say the best way to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus is through common health practices such as covering the nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing, washing hands frequently and avoiding close contact with sick people.

Contact Jonnelle Davis at 627-4881, Ext. 126, or jonnelle. davis@news-record.com