• UD Updates

NEWARK, Del. -- Three more University of Delaware athletic teams canceled their participation in weekend events Thursday afternoon in response to the continued threat of a swine flu outbreak on campus.

The University of Delaware Track & Field Open scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at 11 a.m. at the Delaware Mini-Stadium has been canceled and will not be rescheduled.

In addition, the Blue Hen women’s rowing team will not participate at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Metro Championships Saturday on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. That competition will continue as scheduled.

A total of seven schools and approximately 250 athletes were expected to be on campus Saturday morning to compete at the annual Delaware Open Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Meet. Despite the cancellation of the meet, the post-meet UD Track & Field Alumni Gathering will still take place at 5:30-8 p.m. at the Deer Park Tavern in Newark.

The University had announced earlier Thursday that the Blue Hen baseball team’s three-game series at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and the softball’s teams three-game set at Hofstra University this weekend have also been canceled.

The Delaware women’s lacrosse team will compete Thursday night at the Colonial Athletic Association semifinals vs. Old Dominion at 7:30 p.m. at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. Should the Blue Hens win, they would compete in the CAA title game Saturday at 1 p.m. in Williamsburg.

Delaware's Division of Public Health (DPH) received confirmation Thursday that four University of Delaware students tested positive for swine flu by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, six more probable cases involving UD students were identified Thursday morning, and those samples forwarded to CDC. This brings the current numbers to four positive for swine flu and 12 probable.

The four students now confirmed, including a member of the UD intercollegiate baseball team, who had been reported as probable cases Tuesday, continue to recover from the mild flu symptoms after having been provided anti-viral medications and recovery instructions earlier in the week, consistent with Centers for Disease Control guidelines. It is believed that three of the students remained in Newark and one has gone home.

As a precautionary measure, Public Health and UD officials have been treating all cases with flu-like symptoms as potential swine flu. As such, there is no change in the recommended assessment and treatment regimen for students presenting flu-like symptoms.

With confirmation from CDC that swine flu is present in the community, routine testing of UD students is no longer required and all flu-like symptoms will be treated as potential swine flu.

NOTE: Please contact University of Delaware Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Information Director Scott Selheimer for further questions at 302-831-8007, 302-562-5129, or selheime@udel.edu.