Las Vegas elementary school illness investigated

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jun/09/las-vegas-elementary-school-illness-investigated/


Las Vegas elementary school illness investigated

By Mary Manning (contact)

Tue, Jun 9, 2009 (10:50 a.m.)
Sun Coverage

* Archive of Sun health stories

Southern Nevada Health District officials are investigating an illness with flu-like symptoms at a Las Vegas elementary school.

Parents have been asked to keep their children at home if they have symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, vomiting or diarrhea after 105 students were either absent or sent home Monday at Marion Earl Elementary School.

The school, located at 6605 W. Reno Ave., between West Hacienda and West Tropicana avenues and east of South Rainbow Boulevard, notified parents that officials were monitoring the school attendance rates.

A school spokeswoman referred all calls to the Clark County School District communications office.

Health district investigators will take samples to try and find out what is causing the illness, said Stephanie Bethel, a spokeswoman for the Southern Nevada Health District.

"We are aware of an influenza-like illness," Bethel said.

It could be a form of influenza virus, or it could be the novel H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, or it could be something else, Bethel said.

As of Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Nevada has 128 confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu. The United States total is 13,217 cases with 27 deaths. Nevada has not reported any deaths from the flu virus that was reported first in Mexico and has spread around the world.

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: Las Vegas elementary school illness investigated

[Source, RSOE: http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?lang=eng&cid=21945 ]

[Nevada, USA]

Dozens of kids are getting sick at a Clark County elementary school that has year-round classes.

The district is now investigating.

The situation is happening at Marion Earl Elementary, is near Tropicana and Rainbow.

Monday, 105 kids from the school called in sick, most suffering from flu-like symptoms.

Tuesday that number increased to 148 absent.

Staff at the school would not talk about the situation but parents did.

They say they got an automated call from the school Tuesday morning warning parents about the illness spreading the school.

One mother kept her daughter out of school just to be safe.

"I would like to see earlier notification to the parents, instead of waiting for 100 kids to come down sick. Maybe at 10, give parents a heads up so we can protect our children," said Tennille Macedo.

The Southern Nevada Health District is also on site testing the children.

The health district says they will test to see if this is a seasonal flu issue or if this could possibly be the H1N1 virus.

Parents say they are very concerned about their children being in class. The district is expected to update the situation later in the day.

There is no word what precautions are being taken at the school for the safety of the kids. )

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[Shiloh]

Re: Las Vegas elementary school illness investigated

Source: http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10520469

More than half of Marion Earl's students called in sick Thursday

Posted: June 11, 2009 07:19 PM

The worldwide swine flu pandemic is really hitting home at one local school. 322 students at Marion Earl Elementary School called in sick Thursday, after test results revealed some kids there have the H1N1 virus.

That's more than half the school's students home sick or home because their parents don't want them to get sick.

Some teachers at the school say they think the campus should be closed while the student body recovers from the illness. And, they're concerned about some of the kids still coming to school as well.

"There are parents who still send children sick to school. They try to mask it by giving their children medication to bring down thier fever," ," said Ruben Murillo, fomer the Clark County EDucation Association, that represents teachers and staff. "And after lunch their fever starts spiking -they send them home, and the parents send them right back again. So that doesn't do anybody any good."

The Clark County School District says there is no rule saying parents can't send sick kids to school even though the procedure is to send them home again.

But teachers are now worried they'll catch the swine flu and spread it their own families.