CDC Activates Center to Deal With Flu [View All]

[Robb]

ATLANTA:The nation's top health agency has activated its emergency operations center and has established response teams to assist states with the country's flu outbreak, federal officials said Friday.

The first major test of the center came after SARS, the deadly respiratory disease, was first detected in China last November.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was expected to release more information Friday afternoon.

The agency also was preparing to post new information on its Web site for health workers, detailing how to properly prioritize patients who show up at hospitals with possible flu symptoms. Agency officials have been studying child deaths from the flu this season, officials said.

(more)