Oklahoma county closes public schools amid flu outbreak

HOUSTON - Public schools in a county in the US state of Oklahoma were closed on Thursday and Friday due to an outbreak of flu, local media reported on Thursday.

School authorities announced the closure of the Westville Public Schools in Adair County, Oklahoma after more than 100 students and about 16 teachers and staff members were absent with illness this week, according to a report on the news website NewsOn6.com.

The school system has 1,180 students, according to Fern Kindle, executive secretary for the superintendent.

As Monday is a professional development day for Westville Public School teachers and staff, students will not return to classes until Tuesday.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the worst influenza epidemic in a decade has hit 47 of the country's 50 states. Death cases have been reported in 30 states.

So far this year, 20 children across the United States have died from the seasonal influenza outbreak.