Saint Leo cancels women's soccer games due to swine flu

Five players on Saint Leo University's women's soccer team have come down with the much-publicized swine flu, forcing the cancellation of two games this weekend in Pensacola.

A total of 17 cases of swine flu have been confirmed on campus, said Jo-Ann Johnston, a Saint Leo spokeswoman. The university's daily population is about 2,000.

Johnston said the university's Wellness Center has seen about 50 students with some flu-like symptoms.

"It's not clear how many commuters or staffers might be sick," she said. "But it's not like we're having a pandemic. We don't have any events on campus that have been cancelled. We're [offering] lots of prevention tips and pushing for hand-sanitizing."

She said students who have flu-like symptoms are encouraged to stay in their rooms, drink plenty of liquids and see a doctor if necessary. Saint Leo's Web site also offers tips on how to avoid contracting and spreading the flu.

Symptoms between swine flu and regular flu are similar: fever, sore throat, cough and aches, Saint Leo's Web site says. The cases on campus seem to appear "in pockets," Johnston said.

"It's getting spread among kids who know each other," she said. "There's usually a quick onset [of the illness] and a quick resolution."

This weekend, Saint Leo's women's soccer team was scheduled to open its Division II schedule in Pensacola with two games against the University of West Florida, the defending NCAA South Region champion.

Saint Leo was considered a preseason favorite to win the Sunshine State Conference, according to information on the university's Web site.

The five affected players have shown "mild" symptoms, Saint Leo Athletics Director Francis X. Reidy said in a news release.

"We did not feel we could put our student-athletes at risk, and the other factor involved is our men's team [was] also making this trip," Reidy said. "We could not chance the risk of exposure to them and possibly have two teams unable to play in the coming weeks.

"It simply has become a student-athlete welfare issue, as well as a consideration for our opponents, as well."