School Shut Down by Mystery Infection
Blackhall Colliery, Hartlepool (UK):
A primary school has been shut down for the rest of the week after pupils and teachers were struck down with a mystery virus.
Education chiefs took the decision to close Blackhall Colliery Primary School in Middle Street, Blackhall, after reports about 100 children and seven staff had been affected by a viral infection, which causes vomiting.
A Durham County Council spokesman said: "The main reason the school has closed is because of the number of staff that have been hit.
"It was not possible for lessons to be taken."
He added that the decision to close the school was taken by its board of governors.
Headteacher Matt Younger said: "Seventy children did not come into school yesterday morning. Parents were ringing up telling us about the same symptoms.
"Then during the day, we had to send 30 pupils and several members of staff home as they too started to suffer from sickness and vomiting.
"In the end the decision was taken to close the school."
A team of experts are now "deep cleaning" the school to remove any traces of the infection and it is expected to open on Monday.
An investigation has been launched by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and environmental health officers to find the source of the illness, with samples to be taken and tested.
Dr Deborah Wilson, of the HPA, said: "What we can say is that the school let us know yesterday that an unusually large number of children were vomiting.
"We gave them the usual advice over the symptoms and advice on preventing the inflection spreading.
"Early indications are that it is a viral infection known as winter vomiting virus, rather than a food poisoning outbreak or anything more serious than that."
The infection is said to be like those that commonly attack nursing and residential homes and officers.
Oct 06 2005
Sunderland Echo
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Blackhall Colliery, Hartlepool (UK):
A primary school has been shut down for the rest of the week after pupils and teachers were struck down with a mystery virus.
Education chiefs took the decision to close Blackhall Colliery Primary School in Middle Street, Blackhall, after reports about 100 children and seven staff had been affected by a viral infection, which causes vomiting.
A Durham County Council spokesman said: "The main reason the school has closed is because of the number of staff that have been hit.
"It was not possible for lessons to be taken."
He added that the decision to close the school was taken by its board of governors.
Headteacher Matt Younger said: "Seventy children did not come into school yesterday morning. Parents were ringing up telling us about the same symptoms.
"Then during the day, we had to send 30 pupils and several members of staff home as they too started to suffer from sickness and vomiting.
"In the end the decision was taken to close the school."
A team of experts are now "deep cleaning" the school to remove any traces of the infection and it is expected to open on Monday.
An investigation has been launched by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and environmental health officers to find the source of the illness, with samples to be taken and tested.
Dr Deborah Wilson, of the HPA, said: "What we can say is that the school let us know yesterday that an unusually large number of children were vomiting.
"We gave them the usual advice over the symptoms and advice on preventing the inflection spreading.
"Early indications are that it is a viral infection known as winter vomiting virus, rather than a food poisoning outbreak or anything more serious than that."
The infection is said to be like those that commonly attack nursing and residential homes and officers.
Oct 06 2005
Sunderland Echo
See More Reports:
Why are our pupils sick?
School closed by mystery bug
Reason for school sickness in Edison remains mystery
