The Wm. S. Hart Union High School District has received notice that a student at Sierra Vista Junior High School has a confirmed case of N1H1 influenza, and a message has been sent to all parents at the school notifying them that students who were absent due to illness on May 26 can expect a call from the Public Health Department.

“Let me stress that there is no cause for alarm,” Superintendent Jaime Castellanos told parents at the school. “The so-called swine flu has been relatively mild in the United States and usually results in no more serious illness than ordinary flu.” He added that if absent students are experiencing flu-like symptoms, the Public Health Department will have specific recommendations for those families.

Current state and federal guidelines do not call for closing a school because of a single case of identified N1H1 influenza. Both the County Public Health Department and the Hart District will continue to monitor the situation and take any steps necessary to protect the health of all students.

In the meantime, Castellanos reminded families of standard precautions to prevent the spread of influenza and other communicable diseases:  Keep sick children at home, wash hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based hand-wash solutions, cover coughs and sneezes and dispose of used tissues appropriately.