The Mesquite ISD provides registered school nurses at each campus. School nursing is a registered nursing specialty that involves identification, assessment, prevention and intervention to remedy or modify students' health needs. The nurse's goal is to promote the optimum health of students and the students' abilities to achieve their educational goals.

Each nurse monitors required immunizations, mandated health screenings and maintains communications with parents as needed.

RELATED LINKS:
Immunization Requirements

Health Advisory
Updated September 18, 2009

Mesquite ISD will update the H1N1 information here as new information becomes available.

What are the symptoms that determine whether a child has influenza-like illness?

Students who have fever of 100 degrees or higher combined with a cough or sore throat are identified as having influenza-like illness.  The number of these students is included in the school’s daily report to the county health department.

How is a diagnosis of H1N1 flu “confirmed?”

There is some confusion surrounding the use of the phrase “confirmed case of H1N1.”  This time of year is not the season for seasonal flu. Early cases of flu seen during the spring and summer that were tested were predominately Influenza A, subtype H1N1.  When students or staff members go to the doctor, they are tested for Influenza A or B. When positive for Type A, they may be diagnosed with H1N1 because that is currently the predominant strain being seen.  According to Dallas County Health Department, testing for H1N1 is only done when patients are admitted to the hospital.  Those H1N1 diagnoses are reported on the county health department website.  As a result, Mesquite ISD is following CDC guidelines and referring to all of these cases as simply “flu.” 

When does the flu become dangerous for normally healthy people?

It is not uncommon for persons with flu, no matter what type, to experience secondary bacterial infections such as pneumonia that place them at significantly higher physical risk.  Generally these types of infections develop shortly after flu-like symptoms begin, or after the symptoms begin to subside.  If a student who had flu-like symptoms or diagnosed flu presents with low energy, trouble breathing, and/or chest pain, parents should see medical attention immediately.  Pneumonia is a complication that can quickly develop and create a very serious situation for the student even if he or she appears to be getting better from the flu.

Are there currently flu cases in Mesquite ISD?

We have experienced reports of influenza-like illness in the district since the second week of school, and less than 1% of our enrolled student body was affected in the last two weeks.  Those numbers will fluctuate over time with some campuses seeing higher rates of flu-like illness and absenteeism while others remain more stable.  Because this is a new strain, our community has no immunity to it, and we do expect to see larger numbers with flu-like symptoms or diagnosed flu this year than in years past with seasonal flu.  Our goal is to control the spread of flu through preventative measures until the vaccine is available. 

When will the district notify parents about known cases of flu on a campus?

Parents should understand that reports of flu are present on every Mesquite ISD campus, and new cases are reported each day.  Dallas County is advising districts to send parent letters home when individual campuses experience abnormally high numbers of flu-like illness over a two-day period. Mesquite ISD will send letters to parents when one of the following occurs:

• The number of student absences is 10% above the normal rate of absenteeism for the campus; or
• At least 4% of the student population has suspected or reported cases of flu; or
• Excessive absences or flu-like illness are noted for a particular grade level on a campus.

Schools will also notify parents of medically fragile children if another student in their child’s class(es) has flu-like illness so that they may seek medical attention or advice.

Voluntary Recall of Selected Lots of TYLENOL Liquid Products

McNeil Consumer Healthcare (the makers of TYLENOL®) is voluntarily recalling certain lots of Children's and Infants' TYLENOL® liquid products that were manufactured between April, 2008 and June, 2008. All products manufactured met internal specifications. However, the company is implementing this recall because during this period, an unused portion of one inactive ingredient did not meet all quality standards. As a precautionary measure, it was decided to recall certain lots of Children's and Infants' TYLENOL® liquid products. Click here for additional information.

The recall does not apply to Children's TYLENOL® Meltaways and Junior Strength TYLENOL ® Meltaways.

H1N1 Virus Information

Mesquite ISD continues to follow recommendations from the CDC and Dallas County in preparing for new cases of influenza A (H1N1) virus that are expected to increase in this area the coming months.  Because the majority of confirmed H1N1 cases in Dallas County have been reported in persons aged 18 years and younger, it is very important that we work with students and parents to prevent the spread of H1N1 in our student population.

Symptoms most frequently reported with the H1N1 virus are fever, cough, and sore throat.  Other symptoms include body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, and vomiting and diarrhea. 

Flu viruses are spread through respiratory droplets in coughs or sneezes of infected persons.  Infection may occur through direct contact as the droplets land on someone else’s mouth or nose or when those droplets land on a surface or object and are picked up on the hands of another person who then touches their own mouth or nose.  Prevention is based on limiting exposure through the following:

• Thorough hand washing
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water
• Rub hands together for at least 15-20 seconds before rinsing
• If soap and water are not available, use alcohol based hand sanitizers and rub hands together until hands are dry
• Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and throw the tissue in the trash
• If you don’t have a tissue, wash your hands after you cough or sneeze
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick

People with H1N1 should stay home until they have been fever free for 24 hours (without the use of medication such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen).  They also need plenty of rest and clear fluids to prevent dehydration.  Ill persons may choose to wear a face mask and to avoid close contact with others to prevent further infection.  If a sick person begins to complain of or exhibit any of the following symptoms, seek medical help immediately:

• Difficulty breathing or chest pain
• Purple or blue discoloration of the lips
• Vomiting and unable to keep liquids down
• Dizziness when standing, absence of urination, or in infants a lack of tears when crying (all signs of dehydration)
• Seizures or uncontrolled convulsions

Precautions to remember when medicating children for flu-like symptoms:

• Do not give aspirin or aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) containing medication to children or teenagers; this can cause a condition called Reyes Syndrome.
• Children younger than 4 years of age should not be given cold medications without speaking with a health care provider (doctor) first.
• Many cold and flu medications contain pain relievers and fever reducers.  Read the labels on over-the-counter cold and flu medications before giving or taking additional doses of Acetaminophen (Tylenol®), Ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, or Nuprin®), or Naproxen (Aleve®). 
• Remember that pain relievers and fever reducers may cause a decrease in temperature over a period of time but these medications do not decrease the ability to spread disease. 

Students who become ill with fever (100 degrees or higher), cough and/or sore throat during school hours will be sent home from school.  A student diagnosed with flu who is treated with antiviral medication may return to school if he/she has been fever free for 24 hours.