Bhutan : Flu-like outbreak

Via Kuensel Online :

" South-Central Bhutan 24 July, 2010 : The H1N1 virus is now suspected to have surfaced in southern central part of the country, with two schools closed for a week in Tsirang and Dagana.

With about 175 students suffering from headache, high fever and throat pain in Daga HSS, Dagana dzongkhag declared a break for a week for the 503 students since July 22.

The vice principal of the school, Loden, said that, as a preventive measure from spreading the disease, the students from nearby areas are sent home, while those from Drujeygang and Lhamoizingkha are kept in the hostel, separate from the affected students. “The sick students, about 50 boys and 26 girls, are kept in classrooms and hostels,” said the vice principal.

Loden said that the sick students are given porridge and horlicks to supplement their diet.

But it is not confirmed whether it is H1N1 or not. “But it definitely is an outbreak of something, since 175 students got sick,” said the district health officer (DHO), Gunja Raj Gurung.

He said that about 11 students reported to the Dagana BHU complaining of fever, headache and throat pain on July 18. Since then the numbers kept rising.

But the dzongkhag could not communicate and send the blood samples to Thimphu to confirm if it was H1N1 outbreak because of roadblocks, erratic power supply and network connection problems. “We had to request the police hilux to get the doctor from Dagapela to Dagana,” he said."