China 100 students get seasonal flu in Henan province

[Pathfinder]

100 students get seasonal flu in Henan province(chinadaily.com.cn)

100 students were diagnosed with seasonal flu in Xinmi city, in central China's Henan province, Xinhua.net reported Tuesday. The students do not have the H1N1 virus, doctors said.

The students, who are all attending mandatory summer classes at Xinghua middle school, had previously been thought to have food poisoning after they complained of nausea, fever and vomiting following a a meal in their school canteen on August 9, an earlier local report said.

They are now under close observation in two local hospitals, but their parents have not yet been allowed to seem them. A woman who only gave her surnamed, Zhao, complained to local media after not being allowed to visit her 14-year-old son, who was sent to hospital two days ago.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-08/11/content_8556536.htm

 

[wotan]

Re: China 100 students get seasonal flu in Henan province

100 students were diagnosed with seasonal flu in Xinmi city, in central China's Henan province, Xinhua.net reported Tuesday. The students do not have the H1N1 virus, doctors said.

Does anyone know if it is actually reasonable to state that that much seasonal flu is circulating in that part of China this time of year?

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: China 100 students get seasonal flu in Henan province

A(H1N1) flu ruled out in Henan school illness Source: Global Times [20:39 August 12 2009]


Comments Medical experts have diagnosed seasonal influenza as the cause of sickness affecting 110 students and teachers at a Central China school, ruling out food poisoning, which was previously suspected.

According to Henan?s provincial health authorities, 11 students had been discharged from hospital by yesterday morning, and 57 students and four teachers were still being treated in three local hospitals.

On Sunday, about 110 students and teachers, who were at Xinghua Public School, in Xinmi, Henan Province for extra lessons during the summer holiday, developed symptoms of diarrhea, dizziness and fever.
Food poisoning was suspected, but experts from the provincial center of disease control and prevention confirmed yesterday that the cause was seasonal flu. They also ruled out A(H1N1) flu as the cause.

Founded in August 1997, the school has 24 primary and 20 junior middle school classes, with 2,000 students. About 500 were taking extra lessons over the summer holiday.

After the flu outbreak, the extra lessons were suspended, and classrooms and dorms at the school were sterilized to kill the virus.
The Ministry of Education released a notice early this month, which required that student activities to be cancelled this summer holiday to prevent further spread of the A(H1N1) flu.

http://life.globaltimes.cn/health/2009-08/457116.html

 

[wotan]

Re: China 100 students get seasonal flu in Henan province

Something still doesn't seem right. Did the lab actually isolate a seasonal A or B strain?

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: China 100 students get seasonal flu in Henan province

"According to Henan?s provincial health authorities, 11 students had been discharged from hospital by yesterday morning, and 57 students and four teachers were still being treated in three local hospitals"

More than half are still hospitalised. Unusual for cases of seasonal flu?

 

[Snicklefritz]

Re: China 100 students get seasonal flu in Henan province

110 affected
68 students and 4 teachers addmitted to hospital
57 students and 4 teachers still in the hospital after 3 days
All affected on the same day outside of flu season

This does not fit the profile for seasonal flu?

 

[wotan]

Re: China 100 students get seasonal flu in Henan province

110 affected
68 students and 4 teachers addmitted to hospital
57 students and 4 teachers still in the hospital after 3 days
All affected on the same day outside of flu season

This does not fit the profile for seasonal flu?

Is this one of these regions that has two flu seasons?

speculating here, they may have only tested the index case and gotten a false negative and then made a clinical diagnosis.

 

[HenryN]

Re: China 100 students get seasonal flu in Henan province

Regions further south (like Hong Kong) have two seasons. Henan is further north and its summer (NOT seasonal flu season).

 

[wotan]

Re: China 100 students get seasonal flu in Henan province

Regions further south (like Hong Kong) have two seasons. Henan is further north and its summer (NOT seasonal flu season).

That is what is suspected. But being both unfamiliar with the geography of China and exactly what reasons see two seasons I was unsure.