In light of the state's first probable cases of the H1N1 swine flu, Gov. Jim Doyle signed an executive order Thursday declaring a public health emergency in Wisconsin.
Doyle announced at a press conference that two more people in Wisconsin have been identified as likely having the swine flu, both young adults. One lives in Sheboygan, and the other is from Ozaukee County. This brings the state's total number of probable cases to five, which still await confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control.
The severity of these cases is not near the severity of many of the cases in Mexico, Doyle added.
According to the CDC, the number of confirmed cases in the United States grew to 109 Thursday and the disease will likely become widespread across the country.
Doyle said the public health emergency declaration will allow public health officials to make anti-viral medication available to people regardless of their insurance or health-care coverage.
It will also allow the state Department of Health to enter into mutual aid agreements with other states, authorize the use of the Wisconsin National Guard to transport supplies and allow the state to suspend any rules that might slow down response to the disease.
According to Doyle, Wisconsin has a system of response to influenza that is one of the best in the country.
""The United States Department of Health and Human Services recently ranked Wisconsin among the best-prepared states in the nation when it comes to dealing with pandemic flu. And all of those preparations are going to be needed for us right now,"" Doyle said.
Doyle said there are a number of factors that have caused alerts to be raised about this particular virus, including that there is no vaccine available, that the virus mixes animal and human components and that several cases in Mexico have turned out to be fatal.
State Health Officer Dr. Seth Foldy said it is reassuring that out of 121 of the ""most suspicious"" situations in the state, only five tested as probable swine flu cases.
""Most of the tests that we're sending are coming back still very reassuring,"" Foldy said.
