Five cases of swine flu have been confirmed at Riverside Brookfield High School as of Monday, Oct. 26. 

Interim Superintendent Dave Bonnette said he found out about the first two cases Oct. 20. The five students include a freshman boy, a junior boy, a sophomore boy, a sophomore girl and a senior girl.

The freshman boy and sophomore girl have been out of school since Oct. 20 and were expected to return Monday. Bonnette could not confirm when the other students were absent from school but learned of two more cases Oct. 21. The fifth student, the sophomore boy, was out with the illness Oct. 22.

RB faced a previous health scare earlier this year, when two varsity football players had confirmed cases of viral meningitis in September.

A call was made to the attendance clerk at RB to determine if attendance rates had significantly dropped due to flu, but the call was not returned by press time.

“If parents suspect their students have the H1NI virus, we’re recommending they are kept at home,” Bonnette said. “If the symptoms persist, they should call their doctor.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, emergency warning signs of swine flu in children include fast breathing, not drinking enough fluids, flu like symptoms (aches, fatigue) and a fever with a rash. In adults, the signs can be difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, or severe vomiting.

The district has taken extra measures to ensure the health of the students. Bonnette said the custodial staff is making sure hand-washing and personal hygiene stations were adequately stacked as well as cleaning and disinfecting several “high-touch” areas regularly, including desks, door knobs and hand rails.

The school is employing a three-step “Clean, Cover, and Contain” method, asking students and staff to wash their hands often with soap and water or sanitizers, cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing, and staying home when sick, as well as restricting forms of person-to-person contact, such as hand shaking.