Flu cases found in Wentzville students

By Ryan Dean

KSDK -- We are months away from flu season, but schools are already seeing a number of sick kids. The Wentzville School District says it has about 20 students who have Influenza A.

A spokesperson with the Missouri Department of Health says they expected to see the early cases. He also says that the H1N1 virus or 'swine flu' is a type of Influenza A.

Eddie Hedrick with the health department says when you hear someone having influenza, there's a 99 percent chance it's swine flu.

The head nurse at Wentzville says 17 of the 20 students sick are in the middle school. They came to the office showing the symptoms that are associated with seasonal flu: high temperature, body aches and congestion.

The Missouri Department of Health says swine flu should be treated the same way you fight seasonal flu. It usually lasts about three to five days. You are advised to keep your child out of school until they have no fever for 24 hours.

"Twenty-four hours fever free without fever reducers. That means 24 hours fever free without Tylenol, Motrin, those types of drugs," said Barb Brommelhorst, lead nurse at Wentzville.

School districts are being advised to keep school open unless there are so many students out that they don't have enough kids for class.

The Missouri Health Department says the swine flu cases it's seeing are mild. Officials are worried when flu season starts, a person getting seasonal flu and swine flu at the same time.

A H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available sometime in the fall. You're encouraged to get that and a flu shot.