by Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Mar 16/98) - A spreading flu virus is hard to stop, as Iqaluit is finding out.

"It's the worst I've seen in my 30 years of teaching," said Nakasuk elementary school principal Peter Hough, who has been in Iqaluit for two years.

"I think it's moving on to Joamie elementary now."

During the week of March 2 through 6, an average of 170 to 180 students were absent from Nakasuk's halls, with 30 staff members away, too.

In kindergarten, Hough said he heard there were five students away and 15 students in class but another five students should have been home.

"We were advised by the health people to close the school," Hough said.

But since the school recently closed because of flooding and sewage problems, Hough said he decided to keep it open.

Teachers were urged to send affected kids home.

A deluge of calls from parents reporting their kids would be away prompted the school to send out a release urging them not to call in.

Baffin Regional Hospital administrator Lucy Watts said anyone with fever, cough, stomach upset and aches and pains likely has the current rampant and aggressive Type A flu.

Type A influenza differs from Type B in that it can be treated with the medication Amantidine.

That drug is used sparingly, usually for elders or those with chronic obstructive lung disease.

"We advise people take Tylenol regularly, drink plenty of fluids and get rest, we suggest people stay at home," Watts said after a sneeze.

"There is no need to come to the hospital."

To avoid spreading the flu further, Watts suggested washing hands frequently and staying out of contact with people, particularly those in hospital with other ailments.

"This is heavier than the usual winter flu and people are feeling sicker than the usual," she said, though unable to provide total numbers of those affected.

But influenza can be fatal, as shown by 15 Albertans who died of the complications related to Type A-flu over the last year.

"If people have a persistent high fever over several days and a temperature of 39 or 40, they should see a doctor," according to Wanda White, who is the NWT communicable disease consultant.