Rio Hondo closes schools

RIO HONDO - Rio Hondo Independent School District has joined the list of local districts that have suspended classes in response to the swine flu outbreak.

Superintendent Anneliese McMinn said Monday that there are no confirmed cases of swine flu among the district's students, but absences have been increasing.

The decision to close the district's schools was made due to its proximity to other school districts that have closed, she said.

Rio Hondo schools will be closed from May 5 to May 15. Classes are now scheduled to resume on May 18.

Rio Grande Valley schools have been closed in Harlingen, San Benito, Weslaco, Brownsville, Donna and Rio Grande City.

Dr. Brian Smith, regional director of the Texas Department of State Health Services, said Monday that there is a shortage of flu test kits in the Rio Grande Valley, "but it's not that important."

He explained that about 25 percent of the confirmed cases of swine flu are not detected by the rapid flu test that is administered when a patient first complains of flu-like symptoms, including a fever of 104 degrees and respiratory symptoms.

In those cases, he said, doctors are advised to begin treatment by prescribing Tamiflu or Relenza, rather than waiting for test results.

Smith said the number of confirmed swine flu cases in the Rio Grande Valley now stands at four, with one each in Cameron and Hidalgo
counties, and two in Starr County.

He also said that the state health department is not releasing the number of pending test results.

As of Friday, a TDSHS spokeswoman said there were almost 2,500 tests pending at the Austin lab alone.

Other state health department labs are located in Lubbock, San Antonio, Tarrant County, El Paso, Houston and Tyler, and all are receiving nasal swabs for testing.