Some local firms taking swine-flu precautions-WEB ONLY

Several Indianapolis businesses are taking steps to protect against the spread of swine flu as the number of confirmed cases in the United States continues to rise.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday reported 403 confirmed cases across 36 states – 124 more than were confirmed the day before. Worldwide, the number of cases of swine flu – technically known as 2009 H1N1 virus – topped 1,500.

In Indiana, state health officials said yesterday that 12 more cases of swine flu have been confirmed, boosting the total number from three to 15.

Local corporations, particularly those with a global presence, are restricting travel to Mexico – the epicenter of the virus – and temporarily closing operations there. Worldwide, they’re also screening visitors to their locations.

Visitors to Eli Lilly and Co. locations, for instance, are asked whether they have traveled to Mexico in the past three days. If so, they are turned away and told to return 72 hours later, Lilly spokeswoman Lauren Cislak said.

The flu has been blamed for 30 deaths: 29 in Mexico and one in the United States, according to the World Health Organization.

New York-based Chase, the largest bank in the Indianapolis area, and Columbus-based Cummins Inc., are among corporations restricting travel to Mexico.

Chase has investment and commercial banking operations in Mexico City.

Diesel engine maker Cummins has manufacturing facilities in Juarez and San Luis Potosi. The two plants have been closed since Friday, per an order from the Mexican government urging non-essential businesses to shut down. They were set to reopen today, Cummins spokesman Mark Land said.

“We thought if we could restrict activity for a few days, it might go a long way in helping this thing burn itself out,” Land said.

Mexican officials lowered their swine-flu alert level on Monday after declaring that the epidemic is waning there. Still, global health officials urged countries to remain vigilant because the outbreak’s spread around the world remains in the early stages.

In the United States, Chase has increased the cleaning frequency of its branches and continually updates employees on the severity of the situation, Chase spokeswoman Nancy Norris said.

“It’s just prudent to do that,” she said.

U.S. officials have concluded the virus appears to be no more dangerous than the regular flu virus. Yet the seasonal flu results in hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and about 35,000 fatalities each year.

Clarian Health is temporarily restricting “non-essential” patient visitors at its downtown Indianapolis hospitals – Methodist, Indiana University and Riley Hospital for Children.

In addition, Clarian is asking families to limit the number of people accompanying patients to emergency rooms, outpatient-surgery waiting rooms and physician offices.

The restriction will be reviewed daily and lifted at the earliest appropriate time, Clarian said in a written statement.

“Our highly specialized care and unique patient population makes it important that we protect everyone from unnecessary potential exposures to the virus,” Dr. Douglas H. Webb, Methodist’s director of infection control, said in the statement.

But for Indianapolis-based Celadon Group Inc., whose trucks travel between Mexico and the United States, nothing has changed, company spokesman Craig Coven said.

“By and large, it’s been business as usual,” he said.