By DARCY GRAY

Special to The Hays Daily News

NESS CITY -- An increasing number of ill students has prompted the Ness County Health Department to request Ness City schools close for at least two days.

About a third of students at Ness City High School, which has 156 students in grades seven through 12, has been absent recently from classes, "with numbers rising every day," Tammy Seib, county health nurse, said Tuesday.

William J. McDonald, Ness County health officer, sent letters to residents Tuesday requesting the closure of the city's three schools, Seib said, which include Ness City Elementary School and Sacred Heart School.

The district is complying with the request, said both Randall Jansonius, Ness City USD 303 superintendent, and Don Ruda, Sacred Heart principal.

"We've requested the schools close through Thursday due to the high number of absences and the illnesses being seen at this time," Seib said. "We've strongly encouraged students to stay home, get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids."

According to Jansonius, USD 303 students have been experiencing flu-like symptoms along with symptoms of possibly two other illnesses. Most of those absent from school have been experiencing either a sore throat, headache and fever of up to 103 degrees; a deep cough and medium temperature; or a stomach illness and vomiting, he said.

Health department officials also have seen those symptoms. Although no cases of the H1N1 flu have been discovered yet among students, McDonald said, those who have the flu are being tested for H1N1.

One adult in the county tested positive for H1N1 flu in the past week, and three others have contracted the illness since Ness County officials began testing for H1N1 just more than a month ago, he said.

The number of absences in the school district peaked Monday, Jansonius said, and included a 26-percent absence rate at the elementary school. Ruda said about 30 of the 100 students at Sacred Heart, part of the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City, had been absent due to sickness.

Illness also prompted Ness City High School's junior varsity football game to be canceled Monday, Jansonius said. On Tuesday, school officials checked the temperature of every Ness City High School student to make sure they had not come to school with a fever, and a disinfectant was sprayed in classrooms.

A Ness City native, Seib said she'd never seen a case before in which an increasing number of sick students prompted the closure of local schools.

Several parents had contacted the health department requesting the schools close, she said.

Ness City schools are scheduled to reopen Friday morning, when school and health officials will reassess the number of absences due to sickness.

"I think two days off will give us a chance to break some of the cycle, if students stay home and drink plenty fluids," Jansonius said. "We've never had it hit this early."