Top school issues H1N1 alert
2009-07-14 08:31
Johannesburg - A top Johannesburg private school has issued an H1N1 flu alert after one of its pupils contracted the virus, The Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.
It said the St Stithians College sent a notice to parents after a pupil fell sick last week.
The school's spokesperson, Megan van der Poll, said the boy had almost fully recovered and was expected back at school later this week.
"The reason why we notified the parents is just to inform them of the incident and advise them to be aware of the symptoms," she said.
Anyone showing flu symptoms within the next seven days at the school were advised to go to the doctor.
This includes a runny or congested nose, coughing, sore throat, fever and muscle pain.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) announced on Monday morning that 75 cases of H1N1 flu had been recorded in South Africa.
It warned that the end of government school holidays next week could cause a rise in cases, as children were "reservoirs" of viruses.
Worldwide, there have been more than 95 000 reported cases and some 450 deaths, although the number of actual cases was thought to be much higher.
- SAPA