Influenza A/H1N1 has hit the third school in Uganda as 13 students were confirmed with the epidemic, bringing the total cases in the country to 58, state media reported on Monday.

The new cases were confirmed at Ndejje secondary school in Luwero district, central Uganda, after the flu broke out in another two secondary schools in western Uganda, the state-owned New Vision daily reported.

Another 30 students are being monitored at an isolation unit at Ndejje school, said Issa Makumbi, head of disease surveillance at the Health Ministry.

The earlier outbreaks in two secondary schools in Bushenyi and Kabarole district have left 19 students confirmed with the flu and over 300 more under medical surveillance.

Sam Zaramba, the director general of health services at the Health Ministry, told Xinhua in a telephone interview that the situation is under control.

"The situation is under control. We have enough drugs and personnel to handle the pandemic," said Zaramba.

The country has stocked over 40,000 doses of Tamiflu drugs which have proved effective in treating the highly contagious viral disease.

The Education Ministry directed last week all schools with suspected cases of A/H1N1 flu not to send away students to minimize chances of spreading the disease.

Uganda confirmed its first case of the A/H1N1 flu on July 2, which involved a Briton on a visit.

The A/H1N1 flu is highly infectious and transmitted through the air as a result of sneezing, coughing or touching contaminated materials or surfaces.

The symptoms of the disease include sudden on-set of fever, sore throat, cough and flu. They occur within three to seven days after contact with an infected person.

Director General of the World Health Organization Margaret Chan warned during her visit here in August that more A/ H1N1 flu cases could occur on the continent in the near future.

At least 3,917 people worldwide have been killed by the A/H1N1 flu and over 318,900 have been infected since the new flu virus was identified in April, according to the latest WHO report.

(Xinhua News Agency October 6, 2009)