Oregon Public Broadcasting

Governor Ted Kulongoski announced Tuesday that the state will hold a summit on how to prepare for a possible widespread outbreak of swine flu this fall. Krisitan Foden-Vencil reports.

The H1-N1 virus continues to be found in Oregon -- even as seasonal flu declines.

Officials say that’s one of the reasons they’re holding a special summit in Salem on August 21st.

It will cover what schools, health care systems, employers, and local governments ought to do if there’s a swine flu outbreak.

State epidemiologist, Dr. Mel Kohn, says it’s difficult to predict how many people might get sick with the new strain.

Mel Kohn: “In a typical flu season we estimate about 10 percent of the population gets infected by flu. This time around, because nobody is immune, we expect it’s going to be far more people.”

Federal officials say employers could face absentee rates as high as 40% -- but that’s a worst-case scenario.

Swine flu appears to have the same risks as seasonal flu. For every 1000 people who get infected, about 40 are hospitalized and one dies.