TIGER TV ONLINE REPORTER

BATON ROUGE, La.– The Student Health Center confirmed 27 cases of Type A influenza this week, including an outbreak of the virus among students participating in sorority rush.

Herb Vincent, University spokesman, said in a broadcast email that 20 of the students involved in sorority recruitment had been diagnosed with Type A influenza and showed “mild to moderate” symptoms.

Angela Guillory, director of Greek Life, would not release the name of the sorority to which the students belonged.

The H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, is a subtype of Influenza A and is very similar to the common seasonal flu. Julie Hupperich, Associate Director of the Student Health Center, said the Health Center is not testing students for subtypes of either type A or B influenza.

If a student tests positive for type A, the common seasonal flu, Student Health Center doctors will assume it is H1N1, Hupperich said, because the typical season for people to contract type A influenza in late October through February.

Type A influenza is spread by person-to-person contact or sharing spaces which is why, Hupperich said, college students are at a greater risk.

“Students share numerous surfaces,” Hupperich said. “For example in the residential halls or sharing an apartment with roommates.”

Brittany Albers, biological sciences Sophomore, told Tiger TV she contracted the Type A influenza during sorority recruitment. She said she began to show symptoms Tuesday after starting recruitment week on Monday.

Albers said she immediately assumed she had the H1N1 virus.

“I was coughing, had a runny nose, ached all over and I was running a 101 degree fever,” Albers said. “When I went through rush, we had heard about the girls getting swine flu so I decided to go to a doctor.”

At her family doctor’s office in Baton Rouge, Albers said cotton swabs were inserted into her nose to test mucus membranes.

“It was one of the most painful things in my life,” Albers said about the test.

Recruitment participants said the sorority houses have are taken extra precautions to keep the students and houses sanitary.

Lauren Schell, recruitment participant, said all the sorority houses have bottles of hand-sanitizer readily available.

Taylor Schell, another participant, said if girls were feeling sick at any point during recruitment they were immediately taken to the Student Health Center.

The Student Health Center is encouraging students who show flu-like symptoms to “come in as soon as they start showing any of the symptoms so they can be diagnosed early.”

The Health Center is distributing face masks to students who show any flu-like symptoms, like coughing, to keep them from transmitting the virus. The Health Center is also offering free hand-sanitizer.

Hupperich said students can avoid getting sick practicing healthy eating habits, sleeping at least 8 hours a night, exercising regularly, and staying adequately hydrated.

Cough into a tissue or even an elbow rather than the hands,she said.

“If a person coughs into their hand, then types on a keyboard the next person to type on that keyboard will pick up the germs,” Hupperich said.

Disinfect household items that share contact with multiple people, such as a TV remote. she said.

Students should remember to take care of their health but should not worry too much about the virus, Hupperich said.

“In most cases, the common season flu is more severe than H1N1 virus,” she said.