LaGrange has Georgia’s first case of the swine flu, which already has been reported in 10 states.

West Georgia Health System President Jerry Fulks said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta informed the hospital’s lab at 7 a.m. today that a specimen submitted to the CDC from a woman in the intensive-care unit has swine flu characteristics.

The 30-year-old Kentucky woman had come to LaGrange for an unspecified function and was admitted to the hospital Sunday.

“We had Georgia’s first confirmed case this morning,” Dr. Elizabeth Ford, director of the state Division of Public Health, said at a press conference today.

Ford said the patient had been in Cancun, Mexico, for a week, then returned home to Kentucky before coming to LaGrange, where she became ill. More information about the patient would be available this afternoon, she said.

“She was traveling with others, and they’ve been contacted and they are well,” Ford said.

Fulks said the patient is in a room that’s “properly ventilated so any airborne pathogens would be filtered out of the room.”

He said the specimen taken from the patient “was not exactly like other cases, but close enough to say it’s of the swine flu variety.”

He emphasized that the hospital is not under quarantine and there’s no lockdown of the intensive-care unit.

Nurses and doctors treating the patient are wearing masks, gowns and gloves, he said, adding, “The hospital is trained and equipped to deal with infections.”

“We’ve got the situation well in hand,” Fulks said. “… Our employees are in the presence of disease and doing everything they can to make sure it doesn’t spread, but if it does we have treatment methods.”

The family has requested no information about the patient be released.

“All precautions are being taken to make sure she is not exposed to other patients and family members,” Fulks said.

People should take the usual precautions of washing their hands carefully and staying away from large crowds, he said. But whether schools should be closed is a decision for the school system and individual parents, he said.

The Troup County school system had no immediate plans to close its facilities, spokeswoman Catherine Holmes said.

She said concerned parents are being told: “At this time we have no information that would lead us to believe that students or staff are at a greater risk than the general public for infection of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus. The superintendent’s office is in constant contact with the Troup County Health Department.

“Based upon our communications with them, the closing of schools has not been determined to be necessary at this time. Please stay tuned to local media and the school system website for further updates.”

Jennifer Shrader can be reached at jshrader@lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 236.