BRANDON — Tests are being done to determine whether a child attending vacation Bible school at Bell Shoals Baptist Church has swine flu, according to health officials.
In a letter to the congregation dated Friday, Hillsborough County Health Department officials said children and adults at the camp reported having fever, cough, runny nose, muscle aches and sore throat.
One child tested positive for Influenza A, health officials said, and more testing is under way to determine whether that child has the H1N1, or swine flu, strain of the virus.
In a separate letter to the congregation, Pastor Stephen Rummage asked church members who have had any of the symptoms within the past seven days not to attend any church services, classes or events until seven days after the onset of their symptoms.
The church made the request, Rummage said in his letter, "on advice from the Florida Department of Health, and due to concern for individuals in our church family who may be at risk of having a bad outcome if they contract the flu."
The church said it was sanitizing all of the surfaces that anyone at the Bible school might have touched, and that the cleaning was expected to be finished by Sunday's services.
Church and health officials also advised church members to seek medical testing if they have the flu symptoms and to contact the church office if they had symptoms and went to the Bible school or any church function within the past week.
Richard Danielson can be reached at Danielson@sptimes.com (813) 269-5311.
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