Health officials investigating H1N1 flu at school

By Mary Manning

Published Wednesday, June 10, 2009 | 12:14 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, June 10, 2009 | 2:09 p.m.

Southern Nevada Health District officials are investigating at least four cases of H1N1 influenza cases at the Marion Earl Elementary School.

Test results arrived shortly before noon from a laboratory analysis that tested samples from the school at 6605 W. Reno Ave., between West Hacienda and Tropicana avenues and east of South Rainbow Boulevard.

Health district staff took six samples at the school earlier this week.

Parents have been asked to keep their children at home if they have symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, vomiting or diarrhea after 195 students were absent as of Wednesday morning.

The school remains open, said Michael Rodriguez, a Clark County School District communications officer.

Normally, Marion Earl, which is one of 90 year-round schools in Clark County, has 92 percent of its students in attendance, Rodriguez said. That rate has dropped to between 75 and 80 percent since Monday when students first reported becoming ill.

School officials would consult with health district staff before closing the school, Rodriguez said. If so many students and staff reported ill and the school could not function, then it would close, he said.

As of Friday, the health district reported 48 confirmed cases of the novel H1N1 flu in Clark County. There have been no deaths from this flu reported in Nevada.

State officials are carefully watching the spread of the H1N1 virus this summer. Federal and world health officials said that this flu with swine, bird and human viruses could die out or could return in the fall and winter in the United States more virulent than this spring's illness.