YOKOHAMA--Teachers and officials at a high school in Yokohama were checking all students at the school Friday morning after a 17-year-old student who went to Canada on a school trip in April was suspected to be the nation's first case of a new strain of type A influenza, though later Friday it was found that he had merely come down with a seasonal flu.
The student had complained of high fever after returning from the school trip to Canada.
The incident was feared to be the first suspected case of the new type of influenza in the nation since it has rapidly spread around the world. The student returned to Japan last Saturday, before the government stepped up controls at airports and harbors, sources said.
The school, which was unaware of the student's illness until early Friday, quickly went into action to handle the matter, a school official said.
Although the student tested positive for type A influenza in a preliminary examination, it was later confirmed that it was merely a seasonal flu, according to the sources.
Despite being in the middle of the Golden Week holiday period, during which there are no classes, city and school officials worked to contact people concerned and collect information.
A public health center in Yokohama contacted the school at about 1 a.m. Friday. An official at the health center said the student had a high fever and was in the hospital. "It's possible that he was infected with the new type of flu," the official was quoted as saying.
The school's superintendent went to the school after 2 a.m., and later said: "The health center contacted me a little while ago and I came to school quickly. The principal, the assistant principal and I are going to discuss what to do about the matter."
The principal arrived at the school at about 4 a.m. and said he was very surprised at the news. He hurriedly entered the school building looking stony faced.
The school trip involved 545 second-year students divided into six groups who visited the United States and Canada, with 115 of the male students participating in homestays in Canada.
The excursion lasted from April 10 to last Saturday, and classes were not to resume until Thursday for second-year students. But the school has decided to implement an emergency closure and has told all grades to stay at home until Wednesday. The school also decided to cancel an athletic meet that was scheduled for Friday to welcome new students.
Early Friday morning, the school's teachers began to arrive at the school. They called the homes of students and the 24 teachers who went on the school trip to check on their health conditions. They also began preparing written surveys to be given to all students.
At about 7 a.m., the principal contacted the parents of the student who was hospitalized at Yokohama Municipal Citizen's Hospital, who reported that the student's fever had gone down to about 37 C and that he seemed to be recovering.
In Canada, the student lived with a family together with his 16-year-old classmate. When a class teacher contacted the 16-year-old at about 10:30 a.m. Friday, the student was quoted as saying he did not have a fever or sore throat but did have a cough. The teacher told him to go to a nearby health center.
The health center could not find any evidence of flu infection, but recommended the student stay at home, according to the teacher.
On Thursday night, the parent of another student reported to the school as saying: "My child had a high fever and went to a hospital. But he tested positive for the type B flu." There are no other reports of suspected infections of the new type of flu, the school said. Bye 
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