CORTLAND -- Cortland County health officials said Wednesday that lab tests confirm a "probable" case of swine flu. While they would only say the person lives in Cortland County and attends school in Onondaga County, Action News has learned the patient is a young woman who attends Fabius-Pompey schools. Cortland County officials say privacy laws prevent them from releasing exact information about the probable case or whether that patient is related or connected to another "suspected" case that is also under investigation.

Public Health Director Catherine Feuerherm told reporters that the patient is recovering from a "mild to moderate" form of the illness. She says there's no need to quarantine the patient, home or neighborhood. "There's no attempt to quarantine. The patient has been most cooperative", Feuerherm added the patient "has not attended school, has not been out in the community."

Medical Advisor Dr. Stuart Gillim told reporters Cortland County has a "small" supply of Tamiflu on hand, but access to more through the State Health Department. He says if the virus becomes "more virulent", Tamiflu would be given to the most vulnerable patients including the elderly, very young, pregnant women and patients with chronic illnesses such as heart disease.

Health Director Feuerherm is advising people in Cortland County not to panic, but to be vigilant and practice preventative hygiene.

Experts say the front line in the defense against the swine flu is something as simple as washing your hands. Throughout the Cortland City School system, everyone is being taught ways to prevent transmission of viruses. At Crista Stark's kindergarten class at Franklyn Barry Elementary, children are learning how to wash their hands, when to wash their hands, even how to cough and sneeze. Stark is turning a health threat into a learning experience for young children who experts say are at high risk from this type of influenza virus. "We are so close and we're on each other's laps, we're hugging each other that we can spread germs easily."

Cortland School Superintendent Larry Spring says he's in close contact with the Health Department. The district's website (link below) has become a conduit of information between health officials and the public. "We're letting them know here's our plan, here are the steps we're doing, here's the steps we're asking you to take." says Spring.