Students of Võ Trường Toản Primary School wait to be tested by medical staff. Photo: baosdautu.vn

HCM CITY — A flu outbreak has hit a primary school in HCM City with 20 children taking sick leave.

In just two days, students suffered fever, coughing, fatigue and vomiting. Some recorded temperatures as high as 39 degrees Celsius.

They tested positive for A/H1N1, a strain of influenza. The cluster was discovered at Võ Trường Toản Primary School in District 10.

HCM City’s Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) is now urging all schools to closely monitor the health of students and conduct examinations if they suspect further cases.

After some students at the school became ill, doctors took six samples to test for influenza. Results from the Pasteur Institute confirmed all six were positive for H1N1.

Earlier this year, similar clusters were discovered at schools in Bình Thạnh District.

Health authorities are also telling parents to closely monitor their children’s health, and seek medical assistance if they show any symptoms.

Due to current weather conditions, HCM City is in the peak season of respiratory diseases, which are easily spread in a crowded environment. 

In extreme cases, the A/H1N1 strain can cause a superinfection, which in turn can lead to pneumonia, organ failure, or even death among patients with chronic illnesses.

All schools are being told to closely monitor the situation, and liaise with local medical stations if they suspect any possible outbreaks. VNS