Official: H1N1 Influenza virus is responsible for KUMACA deaths

The Ashanti Region Director of Ghana Health Services, Dr Emmanuel Tinkorang has revealed that H1N1 Influenza Virus is responsible for the death of about 13 students of Kumasi Academy in the past seven months.

The spate of 13 deaths within seven months has caused public anxiety as parents and students demanded answers.

Speaking to OTECNEWS’ Piesie Lardi in interviews Dr. Emmanuel Tenkorang gave assurance that, there will be no further death as students undergo Azithromycin, a broad spectrum antibiotics medication.

Dr Tenkorang announced that blood samples of the three first-year male students of the school , who died under mysterious circumstances within 48 hours were sent to the Noguchi Memorial Research Institute by the health directorates to ascertain the cause of death and the results released this confirms H1N1 Influenza as the cause. . H1N1 Influenza is the subtype of influenza A virus that was the most common cause of human influenza in 2009, and is associated with the 1918 outbreak known as the Spanish Flu.

Over 40 students have been affected, with nineteen currently on admission at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

The assurance comes as students and teachers undergo antibiotics medication supplied by the World Health Organization.

They are expected to complete the 3-dose medication they started on Tuesday on Thursday.

According to Dr. Tenkorang, nineteen students, 16 on admission at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Hospital and three at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital are said to be responding to treatment.

Their high body temperatures are said to have normalised after taking Azithromycin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

With these actions taken, the Regional Director of Health Services, is full of hope that no student will die again at Kumasi Academy.

"Every child will survive in this school. No child will die. I must assure you. Once you take the treatment, there would be no problem. Everybody will survive," he assured.