Bowie Elementary School in Rosenberg is the latest school to be closed following identification of a “highly probable” case of the H1N1, or swine flu, virus in a student.
The school will be closed for the entire week of May 4 – 8, and could be closed the following week pending notification from the Fort Bend County Health and Human Services Department.
School district spokesman Phillip Sulak issued the closure announcement late Sunday afternoon.
“There has been a highly probable case of H1N1 (swine) flu in a Bowie Elementary student. As a result, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, the Fort Bend County Health and Human Services Department has recommended that we close the school for a week to help prevent spread of disease further,” Sulak said.
Sulak added that swine flu is serious and possible infections should not be taken lightly.
“Although the cases in the U.S. have not been as severe as in Mexico, we are taking these measures to try and avoid an escalation of illness here,” Sulak said.
He added that parents should not send their children to school if they are exhibiting any signs of illness. Flu-like symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, chills, headache and extreme fatigue.
Any flu-like symptoms, with or without fever, together with a history of travel to Mexico in the last 7 days, are also reasons not to send your child to school.
