Tennessee health officials today confirmed Hamilton County’s first case of the H1N1 influenza virus, also known as swine flu.

The case involves an adult male who already has received treatment and recovered from the illness, according to a news release from the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department.

Local health officials said the news comes as no surprise.

“We anticipated that we would see the H1N1 virus in our community,” said Becky Barnes, administrator at the health department, in the release.

Health officials emphasized that the best way to prevent the spread of flu is to wash hands frequently and stay home when sick.

For complete details, see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.