Some students from three separate Senior High Schools (SHS) in the Eastern Region have been quarantined after a number of them suddenly began reporting ill with very similar symptoms.
The schools are Krobo Girls’ SHS, Legacy Girls College and the Akuse Methodist Senior Technical School.
Preliminary medical tests on the students by health authorities in the region have proven positive for A3 Influenza.
Health authorities in the region have described the situation as unusual.
According to the Eastern Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Albert Antobreh-Boateng the outbreak was recorded after students from the said schools – all within the Lower Manya Krobo District – participated in a debate competition.
In Citi News interview, Dr. Antobreh-Boateng said the situation is currently under control and expressed optimism that all the affected students would be able to resume lessons next week.
“In Krobo Girls, those who were infected were still going to classes so they were re-infecting themselves. So we had to stop those who were sick from going to classes. We have put all of them in one class and they are being cared for by a team. Another team is also caring for those who are keep reporting the same symptoms.”
“Those who are very ill, we either put them on chemifloc or we give them ordinary symptomatic treatment. We have had positive cases when the test was done for A3. It is a seasonal flu and it’s not dangerous. The other two schools are Akuse Methodist Technical School and Legacy Girls School”, he added.
Influenza A3 is a variant of the influenza virus, also known as the “seasonal flu”.
It contains strains of influenza of avian and human varieties and is responsible for several high profile epidemics.
Also, it is transmitted in much the same way that other similar influenza variants are transmitted.
Particles from an infected person can be encountered through physical contact, airborne particles, or contact with surfaces and objects that have become infected.
Symptoms do not differ greatly from other strains of the influenza virus and include fever, body and joint ache, fatigue, dry cough, runny nose and sore throat.
Source: Citifm