The fumigation and an extensive clean up exercise is expected to end Tuesday[/caption]
Full fumigation of the Kumasi Academy campus has commenced in the wake of the outbreak of swine flu in the school that has so far claimed the lives of four students.
The exercise, which started Sunday morning, will comprise general and viral fumigation followed by an intensive clean up exercise of all buildings and the entire campus.
It is being carried out by Oscappa Ventures and under the auspices of the Ministry of Education.
Four students have died since November 30, 2017 when the first incident, which was initially suspected to be meningitis, happened and has since affected 44 students some of who are still on admission.
Health authorities struggled to identify the disease until Thursday when officials announced tests have revealed the disease as H1N1.
Ahead of that, students were between Tuesday and Thursday given broad spectrum antibiotics with the hope of preventing further spread of the then unknown disease which was suspected caused by atypical bacterial.
Twenty-six blood samples were sent to Noguchi to be tested for Ebola, Marburg and Lassa but all came out negative, ruling out fears of the cause of deaths being Ebola as earlier speculated.
Fifty-five samples which were sent to Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR),with 13 blood samples,15 throat swabs and 10 Cerebro-spinal fluids to be tested for Meningitis, Encephalitis and Viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF), all tested negative as well.
Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu on Thursday revealed laboratory test results from the Noguchi Memorial Centre for Medical Research showed that majority of the samples from the students of KUMACA tested Positive for Influenza Type-A H1N1.
A total of eight houses, eight dormitories, 45 classrooms, 99 rooms, the science laboratory, the dinning and Assembly halls, the kitchen, lavatories and the sick bay of the school are to be fumigated under the exercise.
Majority of the students have left the school for their various homes leaving less than 50 who are currently in the school.
The Contractor in charge of the exercise and Chief Executive Officer of OSCAPPA VENTURES, Oscar Osei Appau told 3News though the chemicals used for the exercise are dangerous, the fumigated areas will be safe for habitation after two hours.
He said his outfit will ensure the exercise will be effective since the team is committed to fumigate every corner of the school by the Tuesday deadline.
Mr Osei Appau indicated that the general fumigation will cater for insects such as bedbugs and cockroaches while the viral fumigation will also cater for virus and bacteria.
Meanwhile, school authorities have urged parents to bring back their wards for vaccination to prevent further spread of the disease.
By Ibrahim Abubakar|3news.com|Ghana]]>
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