Swine flu is catching on in Lindenhurst school district and North Babylon school district, each with one confirmed case.

"We have had one confirmed case and the child is now back in school," said Superintendent of Lindenhurst Schools Neil Lederer. "There are other suspected cases, kids with flu-like symptoms, who are being tested in the middle and elementary schools on Daniel Street and Albany Avenue."

The first case in Lindenhurst Middle School was "diagnosed on May 5 and we found out on May 15," said Lederer.

Some parents said they were angry that the swine flu case came and went without the school notifying them. Although the school district was not alerted until Fri., May 15, letters were received by parents until Wed., May 20. Life went on at the middle school with little fanfare, including International Day and a school budget vote on May 19.

"I think we should have had the information ahead of time, not after everything is said and done," said Kim Sewitch, whose daughter Diana, attends Lindenhurst Middle School.

"It's like jumping into a lake and only later finding out that it's full of piranhas. Thisinfuriates me," said Sewitch, commenting on getting the letter almost a week after the school was alerted.

"Thedistrict should have given everyone the opportunity to know what was going on so they could make their own choice," said Lynn Gigliati, a parent of a student at Lindenhurst Middle School. "I don't understand how other school districts give parents that respect and Lindenhurst couldn't."

"We found out late on Friday afternoon" said Lederer. "We didn't see any emergency in getting the word out; the child was back in school. He was no longer contagious."

Suffolk County Board of Health informed the school that there was no need to notify parents, according to Lederer. "We got word out as soon as we could," he said. "'Could we have gotten it out on Monday?' some might ask. But within 24 hours after that, we got it out."

Neighboring Deer Park school district closed all six schools early in May for seven days to help prevent the spread of the flu. Although there are up to seven unconfirmed cases in the Lindenhurst school district, Lederer - at this time - is not considering shutting down schools, he said.

"There are a handful of possible cases, less than ten out of an excess of 1,600 students," Superintendent Lederer said. "If we have a significant outbreak, then we would close schools."

According to health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, keeping schools open is in line with its new recommendations.

"Right now, the CDC guidelines are to keep schools open," said Grace McGovern, spokesperson for the Suffolk County Health Department. "When they first heard of the virus, it was thought it could be contained. Now it's in all the states and 40 countries. It's not that they are not concerned, but they don't see a way to contain it."

When asked how many Suffolk County schools have cases of the swine flu, she declined to answer.

Although the CDC recommends that schools stay open, the decision belongs to school districts. "They might decide to do so if there is a lot of absenteeism or a cluster of the flu," McGovern said.

Furthermore, the swine flu is not as severe as first reported, McGovern explained. "Symptoms are about the same as the seasonal flu. And when you go to the doctor, the doctor will treat it the same way: 'It looks like the flu, go home, get plenty of rest, and wash your hands and keep hydrated."

Lindenhurst schools have been using VIREX cleaners to disinfect classrooms. They also recommend that parents keep sick students home (who have a fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose); teach children to wash hands frequently for 20 seconds; use hand sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol; and cover coughs and sneezes with the inside of the elbow.

North Babylon School district also chose to keep its doors open after reports of a case of H1N1 flu at Robert Moses Middle School on May 26 from the Suffolk County Department of Health. To keep kids safe, the school will require official medical clearance from any child with a confirmed case of the virus before being allowed back at school.

"Based on guidelines from the Suffolk County Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the North Babylon School District does not plan to close schools due to the influenza," said Dr. Aloise, superintendent of schools.

North Babylon posted an alert on the school web- site about the case and the district said that they mailed letters to parents of middle school students on May 26, and to high school and elementary student parents the following day.

Some parents had hoped for an automated call home, a system the district uses to notify parents for snow days and bomb threats.

"They should have given us a phone call at home," said Stella Manessis, who has a 12-year old daughter at the middle school. Manessis only found out about the swine flu case when her daughter came home suspecting something was wrong when the principal reminded classes to wash their hands frequently. "I never would have checked the website if my daughter had not let me know… I am worried. I don't want her to catch anything."

North Babylon school district plans to update the Website with any further news.