CDC confirms Missouri's first case of new flu strain

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today confirmed that a woman in Platte County contracted the same virus -- influenza A(H1N1) -- that has sickened at least 141 people nationwide, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The case marks Missouri's first confirmed incidence of the new virus.

The patient is a woman in her 30s who recently traveled to Mexico, where the virus first emerged.

The woman received antiviral medication and was never admitted to a hospital, according to DHSS officials.

Health officials have informed all persons with whom the patient had direct contact so that they can receive appropriate medical care, according to the news release. Their doctor or other medical provider will determine whether they should receive doses of antiviral medication.

The woman and people with whom she has been in contact also have been given instructions in ways to avoid spreading the virus.

In response to the virus' presence in Missouri, DHSS has overseen the distribution of medical supplies and antiviral medications to every county in the state.

These supplies will bolster private supplies already available in pharmacies, hospitals and medical clinics, officials said.