Campuses already hit by H1 N1 flu

August 26, 2009

Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh has confirmed another eight cases of swine flu, bringing the total number of sick students to 26.

CMU's director of student health services Anita Barkin says the H1N1 flu virus hit the campus just days before classes officially begin on Monday. She says the first case was confirmed Aug. 10.

Freshmen arrived Aug. 16 for orientation.

Barkin says classes have not been canceled. She says that could change if there are more severe cases of the flu, causing a high rate of absenteeism among students and faculty.

The ill students have been placed in isolation in an on-campus facility with round-the-clock nurses. An extra nurse has been hired to staff the area.

Other college campuses are already seeing cases of "influenza-like illnesses."

Georgia Tech has 100 students ill, while the University of Georgia, and the University of Kansas are among the others reporting illnesses, even before the school year officially begins.

The Centers for Disease Control last week issued guidelines for colleges and universities, to help them cope with the spread of flu in crowded quarters.

However, it will be mid-October before a vaccine for the H1 N1 virus is available.

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