Chinese Students Affected By Unknown Flu

Around 400 Chinese students belonging to Henan University of Science and Technology at Luoyang, suffered from high fevers and were rushed for treatment. The nature of the high fever is suspected to be of unknown flu virus, reports foodconsumer.org.

Reporters can still see a couple of ambulances waiting on the university campus to respond to any emergency needs.

It remains unknown what disease causes high fever in the students on the same campus, but university officials say that the disease has brought under control.

Shang Xinguo, an official from the Henan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters that 22 students started to have fever on March 26. Next day, the number of cases rose to 88, and on March 28, 204 cases were found. Body temperature in a few students had reached 103.3 oF. A few ambulances shuttled between the campus and the hospital often. Thus far, a total of 400 students with fevers have been isolated for treatment.

Shang said patients recovered after a two-day treatment. The common symptoms patients have experienced include fever and sore joints.

Governor Li Chenyu and other provincial officials issued orders to quarantine sick students and treat them with Chinese preventive medicine. In the meantime, 2000 dormitories and 130 classrooms have been disinfected twice a day. All students have been monitored for any fever. Students with any abnormal temperature would be quarantined for treatment.

Reporters noticed preventive medicines are distributed in the university dining hall and hospital. Disinfectant odor smelt everywhere on campus including classrooms, meeting rooms and the school hospital.

Wang Chunxi, a university official told reporters that all the sick students were quarantined in the University hospital. They were allowed to leave only if no more symptoms were observed.

As of April 2, more than ten students still remained in hospital. The Provincial Health Department has excluded the possibility that the patients suffered from seasonal flu A and flu B. Officials are still investigating the cause of fevers.