A SECOND outbreak of swine flu at a Cavan school was being investigated by the Health Service Executive (HSE) last night.
The latest probable outbreak is at Breffni College secondary school where at least one case of the H1N1 virus has been confirmed and where about 20 other students presented with flu-like symptoms yesterday afternoon.
The HSE said it was working closely with the school and the principal would be writing to all parents. It stressed the school remained open, but students with symptoms should stay at home for seven days.
Laragh National School, also in Cavan, where an outbreak of swine flu was confirmed on Wednesday, also remains open.
At least four cases of H1N1 virus have been confirmed among students attending the school, but several other students who were never tested are recovering at home from symptoms of the virus.
Dr Darina O’Flanagan, director of the national Health Protection Surveillance Centre, said most of those who had been absent from the school had not been sufficiently ill to need to see a GP.
Dr Kevin Kelleher, assistant national director of population health with the HSE, said there had also been a number of outbreaks, varying in size, at other schools.
It is understood a small number of cases were also confirmed at two Cork schools this week.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health, at its weekly media briefing on swine flu yesterday, confirmed five more people were hospitalised with swine flu in the past week, but rates of the viral infection in the community remain relatively stable.
Its chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said a total of 91 people have now been hospitalised with the H1N1 virus since the pandemic began, 24 of whom remain in hospital.