More Hospitalized in Prokopyevsk Boarding School Influenza Outbreak

Only some of the 46 residents have been confirmed with influenza A at the Prokopyevsk psycho-neurological boarding school. After a mass outbreak, the institution was closed for quarantine, the regional Ministry of Social Protection reported on Sunday, 25 January.

The cause of the mass illness among the mentally ill is being investigated by employees of Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing) and a freelance specialist in epidemiology from the regional Ministry of Health. After their examination, the premises where the sick were located are being disinfected, including residential buildings and the food block.

Preventive measures are being carried out among those who have not yet caught the virus and the boarding school staff.

“Today, out of 39 examined, 4 people have a positive swab for influenza A, there are no clinical manifestations of the disease, the recipients of social services have been hospitalized for medical observation,” the ministry reports.

In November, the residents of the social institution were vaccinated against influenza.

Meanwhile, 48 residents remain in hospitals, two of whom were previously hospitalized with pneumonia.

According to the Ministry of Health, 46 people who were admitted the day before were tested again, and only 17 of them were confirmed to have influenza A. The residents remain under the supervision of doctors. At the same time, only one has clinical symptoms of ARVI (acute respiratory viral infection).

“One patient is in serious condition. The severity of the condition is due to the addition of an acute respiratory infection to the underlying psycho-neurological disease,” the ministry explained.

The department clarifies that all patients are receiving help — the necessary medications are available.

Also, law enforcement officers are working in the building of the psycho-neurological boarding school, investigating the causes of the outbreak as part of a criminal case. The security forces suspect that the institution may have violated SanPin (sanitary and epidemiological) norms.

Earlier, the regional Ministry of Health reported that the sick mentally ill were sent to infectious diseases hospitals in Prokopyevsk and Novokuznetsk. At the same time, some media wrote that the majority of those infected still had fever, body aches and headache.