sorry - new to making posts and unsure how to do it (even though I have been a passive watcher for sometime now) - wondered if anyone had info on this post from promed... re 100 cases of undiagnosed respiratory illness in china - (quoted in part below):
UNDIAGNOSED RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, STUDENTS - CHINA: (SHAANXI) REQUEST
FOR INFORMATION
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Outbreak of upper respiratory illness at a primary school in Shaanxi Province
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Over 100 students at a primary school in Liquan County have caught
colds [alternative translation is "influenza" - Rappt.DS] and the
school has been closed for 4 days. Education, public health, and
disease control agencies are jointly investigating.
Yesterday [24 Apr 2009], the main gate at "August First" Primary
School in Shide Village in Liquan County was locked. A few kids were
playing outside the main gate. A 3rd grade student said that their
school has been closed since Thursday [23 Apr 2009] because so many
students developed fever, colds [alternative translation is
"influenza" - Rappt.DS]. School administrators said the school has a
total of 300 students. Around 20 Apr 2009, students began developing
fever, cough, and vomiting. Since then, the number of symptomatic
students has been increasing and there are now 116 students taken ill.
To prevent cross-infection among students, the school was shut down
for 4 days. Students are now being treated at Liquan County People's
Hospital and Shide Village Health Center. Analysis by Shide Village
Health Center has confirmed that the cause of illness is an upper
respiratory tract infection, classified as a cold [alternative
translation is "influenza" - Rappt.DS]. Liquan County education,
public health, and disease control agencies are now investigating the
cause of illness.
It is not possible from the information available to identify the
specific cause of this outbreak of upper respiratory tract illness.
One can only conclude that it is not caused by avian A/(H5N1)
influenza virus infection due to the extent of the outbreak and
presumed absence of exposure to diseased fowl. Likewise the novel
strain of A/(H1N1) influenza virus causing global concern is unlikely
to be responsible in the absence of stated exposure of the pupils to
persons from abroad and Mexico in particular. Further information
would be welcomed. - Mod.CP]
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1001:1395552592837013::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,77229