In response to reports of swine flu in the U.S., Direct Relief USA today has been in contact with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) as well as more than 100 individual clinics in California and Texas to offer assistance.

Tapping into local and state emergency response networks, Direct Relief has also been in contact with the California Primary Care Association (CPCA) and Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, which coordinates with public health officials statewide on surveillance and official response activities.

Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed eight nonfatal cases of the new H1N1 influenza A virus in California and Texas. Health facilities in those states bordering Mexico, where the virus first appeared, are keeping a watchful eye on patients presenting with flu symptoms. The World Health Organization is collaborating with Mexico and the U.S. to monitor the situation.

Direct Relief quickly mobilized today to contact its extensive network of partners in the U.S., including NACHC. NACHC’s director of emergency management requested donations of antiviral medications as a precaution in light of flu cases in California and Texas.