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Obama Staffer Showed Flu-like Symptoms after Mexico Trip, Tested Negative for Swine Flu

April 30, 2009 2:52 PM

ABC News' Karen Travers and Sunlen Miller report:

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced that an administration staffer exhibited flu-like symptoms while traveling in Mexico City as part of the advance security team for Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

Three members of this individual’s family tested positive for the H1N1 virus, ten days after the staffer returned home.

The administration staffer tested negative, which Gibbs said was “likely because so much time had elapsed since the onset of his own symptoms that they would not show up in the test.”

The staffer began to feel ill three days after arriving in Mexico City (on April 16) and the following day (April 17), he developed a fever.

He returned to the United States the next day (April 18), traveling on a commercial flight (United Airlines) from Mexico City to Washington, D.C. (Dulles International Airport).

Gibbs did not know the flight number and said he did not know if other passengers had been made aware of this individual but that he will check.

Gibbs reiterated that all four individuals (administration staffer, his wife and son and his nephew) experienced only “mild to moderate symptoms, received no medication, were not hospitalized, and have recovered."

He said the energy department staff has been cleared to go back to work by doctors and is back working today.

Chu and Obama -– No Symptoms, No Testing

Gibbs said Secretary Chu has not and did not experience any symptoms, and so he has not been tested and there are no plans to do so.

Gibbs said the same is true of President Obama –- he has not experienced any symptoms and his doctors see no need to conduct any tests.

The president arrived in Mexico City on April 16 and departed on April 17.

Gibbs said this individual did not come within six feet of President Obama but was at the dinner with the president on April 16 at the Museum of Anthropology. This individual never flew on Air Force One, but he did have contact with Secretary Chu.

Gibbs said he spoke to President Obama this morning and discussed with him the nature of the release of information, but he could not say what the president knew yesterday.

Gibbs said he believes that approximately 10 staffers who were on the Mexico City trip went to see White House doctors with symptoms that were flu-like but none of those people tested positive, and there is no one else that they know of experiencing symptoms.

Gibbs said that in the case of the energy department staffer, “the virus has run its course, he has recovered and is now back to work. Because it has not shown up on tests -– incubation period is over.”

Timeline from Gibbs:

April 13 – individual traveled to Mexico

April 16 – individual began to feel ill

April 17 – developed a fever

April 18 – returned to the United States on a commercial flight, United Airlines, to Washington’s Dulles Airport

April 19 - this individual visited his brother’s home where he likely spread the virus to his nephew

April 20-21 – individual went to work at the Department of Energy. A co-worker that rode in a car with him developed flu-like symptoms but subsequent test-results on that co-worker were negative. 

Also in this two-day period (April 20-21), the individual’s wife and young son developed flu-like symptoms

April 24 – the individual visited his family physician and related his travel history to Mexico. The doctor did not prescribe antiviral drugs and did not perform tests on the patient.

April 25 – the individual, his wife and won visited and urgent care facility where they were administered rapid flu testing and tested negative.

April 28 – the individual’s wife, son and nephew tested probable for H1N1, after following up with Anne Arundel (MD) County health authorities. Gibbs said the subtype is “unidentifiable.” 

Further testing is being done by the CDC to determine the “nature of the outcome,” Gibbs said.

-- Karen Travers and Sunlen Miller

April 30, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (25)

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I feel the President is becoming a polarizing figure.. he scoffs at anyone who questions him or his motives.. intelligence doesn't always make for good leadership. People who believe that they are right and just.. very dangerous to a free democracy.. he might never stop doing what's best for us (even when we tell him to stop).

I keep saying, please POTUS.. take some time.. reevaluate, look at your inner circle.. question their motives.. question their decision making skills.. look deeper .. beyond their words..

Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | May 1, 2009 3:44:54 PM

did you see the video of the cdc guy? i dont know who i should belive!

Posted by: peter | May 1, 2009 12:52:09 PM

Fascist Hyena:" But the president did make one glaring error. "

I have hope that we can start building a real consensus in this country when you agree with a Tomasky article that starts:
"I thought Obama was his usual masterful self last night at his press conference. It's just so nice to have an intelligent and reflective human being running the free world."

I'll happily concede Obama made a historical error, although as the article notes:
"He may well have read such an article, and Churchill may well have made such a statement."

Posted by: jhw539 | Apr 30, 2009 5:42:23 PM

From the ultra-Leftist Michael Tomasky:

"But the president did make one glaring error. He said, when discussing torture, that he'd read an article recently saying how Churchill, at the height of the blitz, said of Great Britain 'we don't torture.'

"He may well have read such an article, and Churchill may well have made such a statement. But Britain did torture. Says who? Says the Guardian. I refer you, friends, to The Cage.

"The other day I was sitting in the Washington office and my Guardian colleague Chris McGreal came up to me to talk about the subject of torture and the debate over its effectiveness. Chris pointed out to me that in Kensington during the second war, there was a facility known as The Cage inside which Nazi prisoners -- chiefly U-boat captains, but others -- were routinely tortured."

Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Apr 30, 2009 5:11:58 PM

John,

Obama went to Europe BEFORE Mexico...good thinking (smirk). LOL!

Posted by: Lefty | Apr 30, 2009 5:07:33 PM

======I mean is the whole concept of royalty something you reject? ======

Is this a real question? We, and by that I mean Americans, not just conservatives, pretty much rejected the whole idea of royalty a long time ago.

Posted by: Axey | Apr 30, 2009 4:55:57 PM

Does anyone recall that the President was sick on his European tour? Have they been going around the world infecting everyone?

Posted by: John | Apr 30, 2009 4:47:13 PM

This is Karma.

Pigs are intelligent and sensitive animals. Millions are slaughtered every day just to satisfy human gluttony.

The animals are coming after us.
The flu, mad cow disease,clogged arteries--it's a sign we need to eat more veggies.

God bless the animals.

Posted by: riley | Apr 30, 2009 4:25:09 PM

I'm glad to know they are well, but this all has a bit of a King Edward Tudor health watch feel to it.

Posted by: MayBee | Apr 30, 2009 4:20:21 PM

Gibbs should heed the wise words of VP Biden as I would expect him to be very susceptible to "swine" flu.

Posted by: paul | Apr 30, 2009 3:50:05 PM

Steve:"What I want to know is , by what authority did this staffer have to take other family members along on the trip at taxpayer expense? Tell us Gibbs."

He didn't take his family members along. I know critical thinking is lacking among the rabid right, but this is just basic reading comprehension.

Posted by: jhw539 | Apr 30, 2009 3:49:44 PM

"and out of bowing to the Saudis ..... there might be some logic after all behind the tradition of not touching the queen of England ..... our British ‘former’ stronger allies might be on to something ..... Witch of course, we totally disrespected by putting our first lady’s paw on the unsuspecting queen"

ROFLMAO!

Why would America loving right wingers give two figs about protocol around royalty?

I mean is the whole concept of royalty something you reject?

Posted by: Ryan C | Apr 30, 2009 3:44:37 PM

It's good to know they are well now.

Posted by: Axey | Apr 30, 2009 3:43:18 PM

"What I want to know is , by what authority did this staffer have to take other family members along on the trip at taxpayer expense? Tell us Gibbs."

Three members of this individual’s family tested positive for the H1N1 virus, ten days after the staffer returned home.

The stupid...it burns.

Posted by: Ryan C | Apr 30, 2009 3:42:59 PM

thanks to barry and his bunch, we're all going to die of the pig flu. but at least we get tax credit of $5.. life is good since we made this 'prompter boy king.

Posted by: eveie | Apr 30, 2009 3:41:52 PM

"What I want to know is , by what authority did this staffer have to take other family members along on the trip at taxpayer expense? Tell us Gibbs."

Complain first...ask questions later...maybe.

Posted by: Silky | Apr 30, 2009 3:40:49 PM

note to steve - read the time line more carefully. he spread the germs to his family upon his return from his trip.

Posted by: d | Apr 30, 2009 3:37:18 PM

I been to mexico city a few years ago and I got sick when i was there. I thought it was just the water but now i am starting to wonder??? Hmmmmmm.

Posted by: billy bob | Apr 30, 2009 3:36:19 PM

Results show that Joe Biden does in fact suffer from "Foot-in-Mouth" disease.

Posted by: Sally J | Apr 30, 2009 3:34:26 PM

So, the Obama administration is doing its part to help spread the disease. Wait, strike that, reverse it. What did I really mean to say Mr. Gibbs?

Posted by: UncleJoe | Apr 30, 2009 3:32:36 PM

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