2,000 students at US university report swine flu symptoms

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2,000 students at US university report swine flu symptoms

Sun Sep 6, 2:38 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AFP) †" Some 2,000 students at Washington State

University have reported symptoms of swine flu, university officials said, in

one of the largest reported outbreaks of the virus on a US college campus.

The west-coast school last week instituted a blog to help provide information to

students about the sudden and dramatic spread of the A(H1N1) virus on campus

just days into the new school term.

" We estimate that we have been in contact with about 2,000 students with

influenza-like illness in the first 10 days of our fall semester, " the latest

online posting said.

" At this time of year, we would typically only see a handful of patients with

influenza-like illness. Health care providers in the local community have also

seen WSU students with influenza-like illness, but we have no way of knowing how

many.

" We also have no way of estimating how many students are self-caring at home

without contacting us, " school officials said.

They also said they had been asked by the county health department " to track

numbers in this way to give us a better idea of how many students at WSU

actually have influenza-like illness. "

The university of about 19,000 students added that it is following guidelines

issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in advising

students how to avoid catching and spreading the virus.

WSU said it has begun handing out flu self-care kits to students.

" Two hundred of these kits have already been distributed with 1,000 more in

process, " university officials said, adding that none of the cases of swine flu

so far has required hospitalization.

" The overwhelming majority of our patients have had mild symptoms and are

usually better in three to five days, " the university said.

None of the WSU cases have been fatal. There have been 593 swine flu-related

deaths in the United States, however, second only to Brazil which has recorded

657 deaths.