Number of flu-like cases jumps to 80

There are currently 80 self-reported cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) at Princeton among undergraduate and graduate students. Last Thursday, The Daily Princetonian reported 34 cases on campus.

In the period of one day (Sept. 21-22), University Health Services identified 16 new cases of flu-like illness, bringing the total number of cases of ILI reported between Aug. 30 and Sept. 22 to 80, University spokeswoman Emily Aronson said..

"The cases have been generally mild, and most of these people have recovered and are no longer ill," she added.

Aronson said that these figures were consistent with those from other college campuses when students returned to campus and that the increase was anticipated.

"We're aware that other schools have reported a continued increase in the number of cases of flu-like illness after students returned to campus, so while we continue to prepare for further cases of flu-like illness, our hope is that the University's ongoing planning and communications efforts will help reduce the spread of illness," she said.

The American College Health Association (ACHA) reported that a total of 7,696 new ILI cases were discovered between Sept. 12 and 18, and 91 percent of the 267 colleges and universities reported new ILI cases, compared to 83 percent the prior week. Princeton is a participating university in the ACHA ILI surveillance network.

University policies for containing the flu include asking sick students to self-isolate, notifying individuals those students have had close contact with of the ill students’ conditions and, in certain cases, asking students who live within 200 miles of the University to recover at home.

“This could be a critical health concern for their classmates with pre-existing medical conditions,” Aronson said. “Self-isolating when ill is a matter of social responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, which include the many people on campus who may be at higher risk for serious complications from flu.”