We contacted the Irving ISD to verify that they were taking the necessary steps to safeguard children from the swine flu outbreak.
Although no cases of possible swine influenza have been reported in Irving, as a parent, it is conforting to see that the school district is taking this serious and working to safeguard the safety of our children.
Tony Thetford, IISD Director of Public Information, provided the following in an email sent to Irving Weekly:
- Schools are enhancing flu surveillance to identify any marked increases in total absences and indetifying flu-like illnesses from children or employees that are sent home though the school clinics.
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Attendance clerks are calling parents of absent students to determine is the child is presenting flu-like symptoms.
- The school district is submitting total numbers of absences, number of flu-like illnesses, total staff absences and number of staff with flu-like illness to Dallas County Health & Human Services on a daily basis.
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Nurses at the school level are following-up with cases that have flu-like symptoms to advice them to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
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The district is sending letters to principals to be sent to parents explaining swine flu, how to recognize it, and the need to report flu-like illnesses to the school.
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IISD is asking principals and staff to promote handwashing and cough hygiene.
Tarrant County public health director Lou Brewer told commissioners this morning that there is no reason to panic due to the swine flu outbreak. Three possible cases have been reported in the Dallas area so far, none in Irving.
The possible cases of swine influenza in Dallas include a 3-month-old baby, 7 year old child and 24 year old man. The only case Tarrant county involves a 12 year old. None of the case has required hospitalization.
Swine influenza virus (SIV) in endemic in pigs (swine). People who work with poultry and swine, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of infection with influenza from these animals if the animals carry a strain that is also able to infect humans. SIV can mutate into a form that allows it to pass from human to human.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general. In most cases, the strain responsible for this year's swine flu outbreak causes only mild symptoms. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A few more patients than usual have also reported diarrhea and vomiting. A diagnosis of confirmed swine flu requires laboratory testing of a respiratory sample (a simple nose and throat swab).
