Nearly 1 000 Namibian kids may have H1N1
2010-10-27 21:12
Windhoek - Nearly 1 000 Namibian school children were feared to have H1N1 flu, the health ministry said on Wednesday.
"A total of 970 learners from two schools, one in the capital Windhoek and one in north-central Namibia, had been seen having symptoms of flu-like illness," Health Minister Richard Kamwi told parliament.
"Swabs were taken and 31 random samples sent to a laboratory. Of these, 29 tested positive for H1N1. In this regard we can conclude that all those who had the symptoms are assumed to be H1N1 positive," Kamwi added.
Health authorities closed a special school in Windhoek for visually impaired children at the start of the week as over 60 children went down with flu symptoms.
"All school children were isolated and have responded very well to treatment and are recovering," said Kamwi.
Namibia had fewer than a hundred H1N1 cases in 2009 and only one death from the flu.
