ANDOVER — A second case of H1N1 flu has been confirmed in Andover's public schools.
School and town health officials received test results late Friday, confirming that a member of the High Plain Elementary community had contracted swine flu. Officials would not say whether the individual is a student or employee at the school.
The individual is making a "speedy recovery," according to an e-mail sent by Superintendent Claudia Bach to parents over the weekend.
The test results came a day after Bach announced that a student diagnosed with the H1N1 flu at Andover High had already returned to the school after making a full recovery.
School Nursing Director Rita Casper said the individual at High Plain is expected to return to the school in a matter of days.
"It doesn't cause any undue alarm," said Casper. "It was just a matter of time before we saw cases in Andover."
Casper said swine flu is spread through moisture in the air.
Doctors test for swine flu using a nasal swab, which is then sent to the Hinton State Laboratory Institute in Jamaica Plain, according to Andover Health Director Tom Carbone.
Carbone said results are reported to communities within a matter of days.
"We know that the virus is here in the community," said Carbone. "It's not going to go away anytime soon. We just have to be prepared."
Earlier this month, a 13-year-old from Methuen was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus. The student attends the private Academy of Notre Dame in Tyngsborough.
Casper said she is telling students and school employees worried about the virus to wash their hands regularly and cover themselves when coughing or sneezing.
They also should stay home and contact their doctor if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms, she said.
"Whatever precautions we take should not be taken just in the school building," said Casper. "They should be taken wherever you are."
