Its director Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman said the cluster was confirmed after the Gombak district health office was notified of the first case by a private health facility. The case involved a student who tested positive for Influenza A.

“The student first experienced symptoms of respiratory tract infection on June 17,” he said in a statement.

Sha’ari said investigations showed that overall, 226 students had symptoms of respiratory tract infections like fever, cough, flu and sore throat, with six of them confirmed positive for Influenza A.

He said so far, only one student with Influenza A had been admitted to a private medical centre for observation and was in stable condition, while the rest were given outpatient treatment.

Covid-19 tests conducted on 69 symptomatic students were all negative, he added.

ILI is an acute respiratory infection characterised by high fever, cough, sore throat, headache and myalgia which are caused by Influenza A, Influenza B, human parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial viruses.

“The infection is normally spread through respiratory droplets which are easily transmitted in congested areas, places with poor ventilation and places with high risk of physical contact,” Sha’ari said.

He said the symptoms would normally persist for several days and heal through supportive treatment like sufficient rest, medication and adequate hydration.