Influenza hits Wairarapa school

An outbreak of influenza B was confirmed at St Teresa's Catholic Primary School after swabs from three ill pupils were taken and tested.

An outbreak of influenza B has laid low about a fifth of the roll at St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, says principal Karolina Surynt-Tapiki.

Mrs Surynt-Tapiki said she and her staff had moved quickly to warn regional health authorities and parents about a possible outbreak after children began falling ill and missing classes at the Featherston school early last week.

The decile 5 school had a roll of 117 pupils and the number home ill with the flu hovered around 20 each day "or roughly a fifth of the roll since the kids came back from holiday [last week]," she said.

"We just did what we would normally do in the circumstances and parents have been very supportive throughout."

Regional Public Health medical officer Annette Nesdale said the outbreak had started early last week in the junior school classrooms.

Staff had been swift to raise the alarm and an outbreak of the influenza B virus was confirmed from swab samples.

"The school were fantastic in reporting the illness so quickly," Dr Nesdale said.

She said the outbreak had spread beyond the junior classrooms and earlier this week there had been 24 pupils absent, not all of whom will have come down with the virus.

"This year there has been a low level of influenza across New Zealand and it's quite late in the season. The flu season is more July and August. So this is a late outbreak and because of those features, we wanted to make sure it was influenza," she said.

Dr Nesdale said parents should call their doctor or the Healthline on 0800 611 116 if they have concerns about the health of their child, or if the child also has a long-term health condition like asthma, diabetes, kidney, heart or immunity problems.

She said other Featherston schools and early childcare centres had been checked by public health nurses and were found to be so far clear of the disease.