With confirmed human cases of avian influenza in neighbouring countries, Hong Kong schools must take the initiative to maintain good environmental hygiene and ventilation.

The Education & Manpower Bureau said staff and students should practice good personal hygiene, and schools should follow Department of Health advice on preventing the illness.

Bird flu prevention measures for schools

Schools and their staff and students should:

* refrain from keeping live birds in school where possible;

* establish barriers to prevent children from touching live birds;

* avoid organising activities that may expose children to live birds;

* do not touch live birds, poultry and their excretia (wash hands with soap and water immediately after contact with live birds or surfaces contaminated with droppings);

* cover nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing and wash hands with soap and water afterwards;

* keep hands clean and wash hands properly, use soap for hand washing and disposable towels for drying hands, do not share towels;

* clean toys and furniture properly;

* maintain good ventilation; and,

* if any students or staff develop respiratory symptoms, they should consult their doctor promptly, wear a surgical mask, and stay at home as advised by their doctor.

For general information on the prevention of communicable diseases in school settings, click here.

Should an unusual pattern of illness or sick leave among students be noticed, schools should notify the Department of Health and the bureau's District School Development Section.

The bureau reminds schools, parents and students to continue to implement precautionary measures against communicable diseases when classes resume after the Lunar New Year Holiday.

In view of the recent SARS cases in Guangzhou, schools should require parents to report details if their children have visited the province during the holidays.

Parents are reminded to take their children's temperature daily before sending them to school. If a student has a fever or is not feeling well, he or she should be taken to a doctor and kept at home.

Schools must also check students' temperature-taking records and should make random spot checks on students' temperature whenever they enter the school premises as a safeguard.