Possible flu case closes Milton High
Podcast Episode
WCLO's Steve Benton reports on how the Milton school district is reacting to a probable case of the H1N1 flu
MILTON — Milton High School will be closed today and Tuesday because a student has a "probable" case of swine flu, Superintendent Bernie Nikolay said.
Following state and federal guidelines, the Rock County Health Department on Sunday ordered the school closed, Health Officer Karen Cain said.
All high school activities are cancelled, Nikolay said. All other district buildings will be open as usual, he said.
The case still is under investigation, but Cain thinks the student's last day in school was Tuesday.
The student is not hospitalized, she said.
This is the second "probable" case of swine flu in Rock County, Cain said. On Friday, the county announced another case: a man who became sick after returning from a trip to Mexico.
The two cases are not related as far as the health department knows, Cain said.
No closures followed the first announcement because the situation was different, she said.
"Here's (in Milton High School) an individual amid a population that readily spreads things," Cain said. "It's hard for the health department to investigate large groups of people."
While classes will be held for middle and elementary school students, the district will excuse absences if parents choose to keep kids at home, Nikolay said.
"The absence will be excused whether it's a childcare issue or they don't feel safe," Nikolay said.
The district will not serve hot lunch today and Tuesday, Nikolay said. Hot lunch is prepared at the high school.
Milton High School teachers and students should stay home as much as possible, Cain said. The point of closing the school is to prevent the spread of the disease.
"This is just one of the steps we're taking to prevent the spread of the virus," Cain said. "Children and teachers, when we're closing the schools, should stay home. They should not be out in the public, so it (the flu virus) can be contained."
The Milton School District informed families of the school closing through its automated phone messaging system, Nikolay said. The district will keep sharing news by telephone, on the district Web site, www.milton. k12.wi.us, and through local media, he said.
For general information about the virus in Rock County call (608) 757-5440.
The Fort Atkinson School District on Sunday also announced a school closure.
The Jefferson County Health Department ordered Barrie Elementary School closed indefinitely, according to a letter from the district.
Tentative plans are to re-open the school on Monday, May 11.
All other Fort Atkinson School District schools will stay open at this time, according to the letter.
For more information, visit www.fortschools.org.
Meanwhile, state health officials said the number of probable cases of swine flu in Wisconsin grew to 66 by Sunday afternoon, while officials in Milwaukee closed more schools in that city as a precaution.
The number of confirmed cases in Wisconsin remained at three: two in Milwaukee County and one in Adams County. Milwaukee officials said they weren't closing the entire school district, but the list of closed schools numbered more than 20 by Sunday evening.
City Health Commissioner Bevan Baker said officials would monitor the situation and "in six days re-evaluate the possibility of opening schools sooner than the CDC-recommended 14 day period."
While schools are closed, the city's Health Department urged that staff and children stay home and out of community settings.
"Remember, theses children and staff are likely to have been exposed to the swine flu, and may be incubating disease," Baker said. "It is important for them to stay home to minimize the risk of further spread of disease in the community."
The probable cases were being sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection for confirmation.
The state said there were 19 probable cases of swine flu in Milwaukee County by Sunday afternoon. But Milwaukee officials said the number in the city was much higher.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
May 5, 2009 at 6:27 p.m.
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delavan: as far as I have heard the days do not have to be made up since the DPI and health depts closed them. it was all of the news the other day.
May 5, 2009 at 5:05 p.m.
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All Milwaukee Schools will be open tomorrow.This was reported by all t.v. stations.Wonder if they will have to make the day's up like snow days'?
May 5, 2009 at 4:20 p.m.
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lilwillow14, do allow time for diagnosis and confirmation. There are only a couple of labs in the WORLD that can medically confirm this is the Mexican strain rather than any other H1N1 strain (which was formerly the dominant subtype in the US and remains common).
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Also note that any visitors received by an infected person are at risk, but only to the extent they don't observe normal infection precautions such as washing their hands. This isn't Ebola, it's just a flu. It doesn't survive outside a host body for very long, so although it may make sense to, say, wipe down stair railings, doorknobs, and so forth, the risk after a week is pretty low.
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If anyone knows they have been in contact with an ill person, or someone who has, then they should be tested -- IF AND ONLY IF they become ill. The incubation for the flu is usually no more than 48 hours, unlike, say, tuberculosis which can live in a host for years. It's almost pointless (other than for research purposes) to test someone who is not symptomatic. In fact, that may represent someone who has antibodies, or who has received only enough exposure to develop them -- so they'll stand a better chance come winter, when this will be part of the "flu mix".
May 5, 2009 at 8:06 a.m.
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Oooooooooooohh, Can you say Paranoid.....
May 5, 2009 at 7:43 a.m.
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This has been in the high school since after spring break, someone visited Mexico. Why did this come out a week after they were absent from school? Everyone that visited since then have been affected. So, if you had sick children, did you have them tested? Remember, show choir?
May 4, 2009 at 8:05 p.m.
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And when Janesville schools get affected will they actually give a hoot for once?
Or are they going to keep it hushed.
Teachers are already telling students to hush about it in class acting as if they don't care.
May 4, 2009 at 6:05 p.m.
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The Rock County Health department shut the high school down. They are disinfecting the high school as best they can, but when you consider high school kids have siblings... and I believe the incubation period for flu viruses are 3 to 7 days, I guess we'll have to wait and see.
May 4, 2009 at 5:41 p.m.
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Dont come shopping at my work and spread it to me
May 4, 2009 at 5:33 p.m.
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Closing a school to contain an outbreak of a disease can be a wise move, but parents will need to enforce the "social distancing" idea with their children. Even thought the kids feel fine, they need to stay home and away from places like the Mall, friends' homes, and the cinemas. I hope this works!
May 4, 2009 at 5:19 p.m.
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This is one of the measures people seem to have in mind when they talk of overreaction, but in actuality it's a "social distancing" measure that is very effective in cutting short the spread of an epidemic. Any parent knows that a school or day care is a Petri dish!
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