Officials of the Ministries of Health and Education investigating an outbreak of flu like illness
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Contact:
Rose Marie Harris Tuesday, September 15, 2009 – The Ministries of Health and Education are presently involved in the investigation of an outbreak of flu like illness at a secondary school in the north. A number of students from one form of that school reported to school with flu like symptoms. All students involved have since been treated and advised to remain home for at least one week. We have no confirmation of H1N1 influenza up to this point in time, but the pattern of this outbreak fits the patterns which we have noted in previous H1N1 Influenza outbreaks.
Parents are asked to remain alert for any sign of flu-like illness in their child. The child should be taken to see a doctor if there is any sign, such as sore throat, runny nose, cough, fever, headache, joint and body pains, belly pain, vomiting and or diarrhoea. Free doctors clinics are available at all health centres.
Recognizing that schools provide an ideal setting for the spread of flu like viruses, the Ministry of Education has taken a number of steps to increase sensitization of students, staff and parents to ways of limiting the spread of flu-like viruses. We continue to encourage frequent hand washing, covering of coughs and sneezes and urge parents to keep ill children away from school for at least one week. |
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