Rhiza Labs FluTracker Forum

Please post cases in Montana Schools by replying to this thread.

http://www.ktvq.com/Global/story.asp?S=11039839

CDC says 99% of all flu cases currently are H1N1. There is no seasonal flu going around at this time.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

The H1N1 virus is here. Missoula has it's first confirmed cases with at least one on the UM campus and another sick student at a Missoula high school school.

This after MSU in bozeman confirmed eight cases of the so called "swine flu". And health experts say it's probably just the beginning.

The Health departments promotions director, Greg Oliver says, "We're monitoring the situtation as best we can."

The Missoula city/county health department says tracking the h1ni is challenging. It's monitoring health related absentee rates around town and it hears from local clinics about their sick patients to gage the spread. But since it's not regular flu season right now, your flu is probably h1n1.

http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Glob ... S=11116601

Dozens of school students in Butte-Silver Bow and surrounding counties are calling in sick, prompting officials to consider closing the doors.

Butte area schools are being hit hard by the H1N1 virus, according to the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department. At East Junior High 140 to 150 students are absent with symptoms of the H1N1 flu. That is 27 percent of the student population, Butte-Silver Bow Assistant Health Officer Karen Billson.

So far, the H1N1 virus is the only known sickness circulating in the area, Billson said.

The student population in Kindergarten through 12th grade is down anywhere from 15 to 50 percent due to illness. If any more students call in sick or if staff members are absent then the schools will close, Billson said.

Schools in Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Granite and Beaverhead counties are also reporting a loss in students due to the virus.

For the latest information from the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department call 497-5079.

http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Glob ... S=11276452

ANACONDA- A wave of absenteeism in Anaconda's public schools, attributed mainly to the H1N1 virus, prompted Superintendent Tom Darnell to close all schools Friday.

The decision also means that Hamilton's homecoming game against the Anaconda Copperheads, set for Friday night, is off.

Darnell announced the closure Thursday afternoon, with 333 students - or nearly 30 percent of the district, up from 19 percent on Monday - out sick.

was strictly a local call," Darnell said.

It is not the presence of swine flu that is forcing school closure, Darnell said, but the impact it has had on attendance.

"Teachers, when they have a large percent out of their classroom, really can't introduce new material," Darnell said. "It just doesn't make sense to try and have school under those conditions."

http://www.missoulian.com/news/state-an ... 03286.html

Tests at the state lab have confirmed three cases of Novel H1N1 flu in Choteau junior high and high school students, Teton County Public Health Nurse Lora Wier said Wednesday.
....
Absentee rates at Choteau Public Schools spiked on Monday, when 27 students (mostly in junior high and high school) stayed home sick. The numbers surged to a high of 74 out on Tuesday (12 in the grade school and 62 in grades 7-12) and as of Wednesday had come back down to 64 out (19 in grade school, 45 in grades 7-12).
...
Achenbach said Choteau’s high school volleyball team will likely be able to play as scheduled this week. The flu virus has flattened quite a few football players though so the future of the varsity game in Conrad is still uncertain. As of Wednesday, 22 out of 40 football players were out sick. Choteau won’t field a team unless it can do so safely and responsibly, he said, adding that he has been in contact with the Montana High School Association about the situation. Achenbach said Choteau will try to field a football team on Saturday to play in Conrad. If that is not possible, he said, the school will first try to reschedule the game. If the game cannot be rescheduled, Choteau may have to forfeit, he said.

http://www.choteauacantha.com/articles/ ... 660305.txt

"Write about what you can do as a community to keep healthy,"

said Stephanie Murphy, human services director of the Gallatin City-County Health Department on Tuesday.

"There have been 45 cases of H1N1 flu reported in the county so far this week," said Murphy in response to questions from the News, "and no seasonal influenza yet.

"I think there are a lot of sick people out there who are not all going to the doctor," she said, adding, "This flu is very treatable at home if there are no complications."

The first batch of vaccine against the virus is expected to arrive later this week.

The following letter was sent to parents of West Yellowstone School children last week, which we print in its entirety as it applies to the whole community:

Dear Parent,

As you may know, the flu can be easily spread from person to person. Over the past few days we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of students sick in school. Therefore, we are taking steps to reduce the spread of the flu in West Yellowstone School. We want to keep the school open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season. But, we need your help to do this.

We are working closely with the Gallatin City- County Health Department and the West Yellowstone Clinic to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning schools.

http://www.westyellowstonenews.com/arti ... /news3.txt

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www.twitter.com/hniman

Flu hits Belgrade schools

As the H1N1 flu virus continues to spread locally, more than one-third of the student population at Belgrade High School called in sick or went home early Monday.

Overall, nearly 20 percent of the district's 3,006 students were absent at least some portion of the day, Superintendent Herb Benz said. But schools will remain open unless employees call in sick in great enough numbers to affect student safety.
The high school saw the greatest percentage of illness ' 35.6 percent, or 298 students out of 836, he said. The lowest percentage was at Ridge View Elementary, where 5.5 percent ' 28 out of 512 were ill.


In Manhattan, where flu-like symptoms sent several students home last week, the situation appears to have calmed down, Manhattan Superintendent Jerry Pease said Monday.

'A week ago today we started out the day at the high school with 21 kids absent,' he said. 'Then during the day we had 11 more kids who went home because they were sick. So at the end of the day we had about 15 percent of our population out.

The H1N1 outbreak did not appear to be as serious in Three Forks as of Monday. Absenteeism in schools there was hovering around 4 percent, Superintendent John Overstreet said.

http://www.belgrade-news.com/view.php?article=11439