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The Ghana Health Service has issued an alert over the outbreak of Swine Flu (H1N1) in the country following the death of four students at the Kumasi Academy last week.

After several tests, the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyenman-Manu last week Thursday confirmed that four students who died at KUMACA died from Influenza A also known as Swine flu.

A private company contracted by the Ministry of Education over the weekend carried out a fumigation exercise at the school.

The exercise covered all eight dormitories in the school, 45 classrooms the science laboratory, the dining and assembly halls, the kitchen, lavatories and the sick bay of the school.

In a statement, the Ghana Health Service said during the outbreak, some parents took their exposed children home from school. This move could expose the students to anyone that they may come into contact with and transmission may be on course.

The Ghana Health Service is therefore cautioning the public to be on the alert.

Below are details of the statement

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT!!!!!!!  CONFIRMED INFLUENZA A {SWINE FLU (H1NI)} OUTBREAK IN GHANA

The Regional Health Directorate wishes to bring to the attention of all health workers, an ongoing outbreak of confirmed Swine Flu (H1N1) at the Kumasi Academy Senior High School (KUMACA) in the Ashanti Region which has claimed about 13 lives within the past 7 months.

Over 40 students so far have been affected, with nineteen currently on admission at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. Some parents, during the outbreak, took their exposed children home from school and hence such exposed students may have come into contact with the general population and transmission may be on course.

H1N1 Influenza is the subtype of Influenza A virus that was the most common cause of human influenza infection in the 2009 global pandemic.

The disease is spread mainly via droplet infection by inhaling air contaminated with the virus. All respiratory secretions and body fluids including diarrhoea stools of infected patients are considered to be potentially infectious. It has an incubation period of 1 – 4 days and has a high virulence if not diagnosed and treated on time.

The main signs and symptoms are: Sudden onset of fever ( 380C), chills, headache, general weakness, cough or sore throat and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea vomiting and diarrhoea.

In view of the above, the following case definition should be used at all levels with a high index of suspicion through improving our surveillance system.

Suspected Case Definition: Any individual presenting with sudden onset of fever (38 °C), cough or sore throat, headache and or general weakness  in the absence of another diagnosis with a history of exposure to a student from KUMACA or coming from Ashanti Region.

Samples (combined nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs in universal transport medium) should be taken for all suspected cases and sent to the Regional Disease Control Unit to compliment the work of the Regional Influenza Sentinel Sites. I count on your usual cooperation.