MONROE - About 10 percent of students in the Monroe school district were out of school over the past two days with flu-like symptoms, Monroe superintendent Larry Brown said Tuesday, while other area districts are also reporting absent students.
Local school officials are aware that an H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, outbreak is a possibility and have taken steps to keep the illness from their schools.
Green County school districts have kept a close eye on the number of students absent from school.
"We're monitoring our kids and we're taking steps to keep our kids home," Brown said, of the 2,550-student school system.
However, Green County Health Department Director RoAnn Warden said though schools have increased awareness of H1N1 and report to the department weekly, those reports have not showed concerning information.
"We haven't seen much out of the ordinary," she said.
There are always times during the year when colds and flu are more common in every school district, she added.
Albany superintendent Steve Guenther said his district has seen a slight increase in absenteeism but the numbers overall have been "pretty normal."
"Some of the students could have the flu but there's also a lot of colds and stomach flu going around," he said. "We've been keeping track of the kids who are sick and asking what their symptoms are. It doesn't look like anything too significant."
Monticello superintendent Karen Ballin said there have been a few students out of school with sore throats.
"We're just waiting for the other shoe to drop and have some students get sick with the flu," she said.
In Lafayette County, Argyle superintendent Bob Gilpatrick said 36 of the 338 students in the district were absent over the past couple of days.
"We have hand sanitizer in every room and we're watching the counts carefully," Gilpatrick said.
He said the 28 students absent from the high school were probably double the amount on a normal school day.
Lafayette County health nurses also serve as school nurses for most of the districts, Health Department Director Debbie Siegenthaler said.
Siegenthaler estimated that 99 percent of flu-like symptoms are the same as H1N1 symptoms. She said fever, a sore throat and coughing are often reported in kids that are sick.
"If it walks like a duck and acts like a duck and coughs like a duck, it's a duck," she said.
Even though the symptoms suggest the type of flu many people are worried about, Siegenthaler doesn't want people to panic.
"We don't want people surging to the emergency rooms," she said. "We don't want people to freak out."
Superintendents and public health officials said the best way to fight the flu is to use common sense.
"People need to stay home, rest, drink lots of fluid and take care of themselves," Siegenthaler said. "They should stay home until they don't have a fever anymore."
Brown said the Monroe district has encouraged students to stay home.
"Wait 24 hours before you send your kids back to school," he said.
More information about H1N1 influenza is available at the Green County Health Department Web site, www.greencountyhealth.org, and the Lafayette County Health Department Web site, www.lafayettecountyhealthdepartment.org.
Local school officials are aware that an H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, outbreak is a possibility and have taken steps to keep the illness from their schools.
Green County school districts have kept a close eye on the number of students absent from school.
"We're monitoring our kids and we're taking steps to keep our kids home," Brown said, of the 2,550-student school system.
However, Green County Health Department Director RoAnn Warden said though schools have increased awareness of H1N1 and report to the department weekly, those reports have not showed concerning information.
"We haven't seen much out of the ordinary," she said.
There are always times during the year when colds and flu are more common in every school district, she added.
Albany superintendent Steve Guenther said his district has seen a slight increase in absenteeism but the numbers overall have been "pretty normal."
"Some of the students could have the flu but there's also a lot of colds and stomach flu going around," he said. "We've been keeping track of the kids who are sick and asking what their symptoms are. It doesn't look like anything too significant."
Monticello superintendent Karen Ballin said there have been a few students out of school with sore throats.
"We're just waiting for the other shoe to drop and have some students get sick with the flu," she said.
In Lafayette County, Argyle superintendent Bob Gilpatrick said 36 of the 338 students in the district were absent over the past couple of days.
"We have hand sanitizer in every room and we're watching the counts carefully," Gilpatrick said.
He said the 28 students absent from the high school were probably double the amount on a normal school day.
Lafayette County health nurses also serve as school nurses for most of the districts, Health Department Director Debbie Siegenthaler said.
Siegenthaler estimated that 99 percent of flu-like symptoms are the same as H1N1 symptoms. She said fever, a sore throat and coughing are often reported in kids that are sick.
"If it walks like a duck and acts like a duck and coughs like a duck, it's a duck," she said.
Even though the symptoms suggest the type of flu many people are worried about, Siegenthaler doesn't want people to panic.
"We don't want people surging to the emergency rooms," she said. "We don't want people to freak out."
Superintendents and public health officials said the best way to fight the flu is to use common sense.
"People need to stay home, rest, drink lots of fluid and take care of themselves," Siegenthaler said. "They should stay home until they don't have a fever anymore."
Brown said the Monroe district has encouraged students to stay home.
"Wait 24 hours before you send your kids back to school," he said.
More information about H1N1 influenza is available at the Green County Health Department Web site, www.greencountyhealth.org, and the Lafayette County Health Department Web site, www.lafayettecountyhealthdepartment.org.