Communication from official PAX sources indicate that the show may have been home to an infestation of the H1N1 flu virus, more commonly known as the Swine Flu, with Penny Arcade reps urging attendees to monitor symptoms.
The official PAX Twitter account wrote today "Just heard of our first test-confirmed swine flu case at the show. PLEASE if you feel symptoms (fever, etc) go to the doctor." That's potentially alarming news for the approximately 60,000-plus estimated attendees of this year's Penny Arcade Expo. We contacted Penny Arcade reps to get more details on the reports of Swine Flu.
"This is the real thing. If you get this number of people together in this close a proximity it is the perfect storm for these kind of wild fire virus spreads," Penny Arcade's Robert Khoo told Kotaku. "We just want to make sure everyone is informed."
Khoo said that the reported case came from a Boston-based game developer, one who confirmed contracting the H1N1 virus with a doctor. That developer contacted PAX officials with confirmation of the infection.
We contacted the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention to see if any other reports of Swine Flu infection had been reported from the show and are waiting to hear back.
As PAX officials already noted, we'd highly recommend seeking medical help should you notice any symptoms, which include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. We'd also recommend reading more information about the virus at the CDC's web site.