Swine flu shuts school and nursery

Last Updated: Thursday, 14 May 2009, 01:44 GMT

A nursery and a primary school have been closed amid fears that swine flu could be spreading among pupils.

Two children, aged five and three, were found to be probable cases of the virus.

Health officials ordered the closure of Ravenscraig Primary in Greenock, Inverclyde, on Tuesday afternoon after a five-year-old boy was diagnosed with a probable case of swine flu.

They also shut down Ladybird nursery in the town for a week after a three-year-old child showed symptoms.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the probable cases are linked to a 19-year-old from Greenock who was confirmed with swine flu over the weekend.

Ms Sturgeon said: "Late last night a three-year-old child in Greenock was considered to be in the probable category. The child attends a nursery in Greenock. As with the school, the precautionary step has been taken of closing that nursery for a period of seven days."

Worried parents at the nursery in Chester Road, Greenock, were being spoken to by health officials.

Ms Sturgeon announced on Tuesday that Ravenscraig Primary will be closed for a week after a pupil was diagnosed with a probable case of swine flu. His 45-year-old mother has also been classed as a probable case.

Four other contacts of the boy's mother are showing symptoms and are being classed as possible cases, she said. The school, which shut on Tuesday afternoon, was the first closure in Scotland prompted by the flu alert.

The five-year-old boy also attended an after-school club where Ms Sturgeon said 17 children were being treated with Tamiflu. They were also being asked not to return to the after-school club or to their individual schools for seven days.

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