The education chief of central China's Henan Province said Tuesday people held accountable for an A(H1N1) flu outbreak at a local high school would be punished harshly.

Jiang Duyun, director of the province's education department, said the outbreak had revealed managerial defects at the No. 3 Senior High School in Xin'an County.

Investigations found the school had started the fall semester ahead of schedule and had not tested students' temperatures in the morning before they came to school as required, said Jiang.

The number of people infected at the school has risen to 109 with 29 new cases confirmed Tuesday. The school, which has 2,768 students and 41 classes, has suspended classes.

A situation of epidemic proportions surfaced last Thursday afternoon when the People's Hospital of Xin'an County received a A(H1N1) flu patient from the school

Another outbreak of A(H1N1) flu was reported Sunday at a middle school in northwest China's Gansu Province where 26 students were confirmed ill.

The Ministry of Health has called on the public to take every possible precaution against A(H1N1) flu as risks are rising amid recent cases of group infection.

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2009)