Illness forces postponement of school opening

CENTREVILLE, New Brunswick — The opening of school for about 425 elementary and intermediate-level pupils was postponed Monday as a result of more than a dozen confirmed cases of a bacteria-related infection of residents in the Centreville area.

According to the New Brunswick Department of Health and Medical Services, a total of 13 cases of Shigellosis have been confirmed, with another 40 patients showing symptoms of the infection. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea and nausea.

Centreville is located on the United States-Canada border, about eight miles from Bridgewater, Maine.

Officials of the Maine Bureau of Health were uncertain Monday as to whether any cases of Shigellosis had been reported in the state.

Provincial health officials have theorized that the bacteria may have been brought by someone visiting the area.

The illness lasts about a week and is transmitted through poor personal hygiene habits, according to a department spokesman, Steve Crawford. Water also may be a carrier of the bacteria, he said.

Very young or elderly people infected by the bacteria may require hospitalization.

Health inspections were conducted in Centreville over the weekend and water samples were taken for analysis Aug. 8, Crawford said. The provincial health department has issued warnings to doctors and other medical officials regarding the importance of washing hands with warm soapy water for at least 30 seconds.

Although the illness lasts about a week, a person may remain infectious for at least a month, Crawford said.

Centreville’s elementary and intermediate-level schools were scheduled to open Monday. However, the opening was delayed upon recommendation of the district’s medical officer Dr. Denis Allard, according to the intermediate school principal, James Page.

“They’re telling us that it is very contagious and to encourage the students to wash with liquid soap,” said Page.

The elementary school’s principal, Colleen Spragg, said the situation will be reassessed and a decision made Wednesday on whether to open school Thursday.

The illness was first reported July 23, Crawford said. Cases have not been reported outside the Centreville area, Crawford added.