In a continuing effort to head off outbreaks of illness among students, the Vicksburg Warren School District has installed germicidal cleaning kits on all school buses.

Kits and training were provided to drivers Wednesday and Thursday, said Gail Kavanaugh, who in addition to her duties as child nutrition director is the district’s health and safety administrator. The measure was prompted by the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, but plans are to use the cleaners indefinitely.

“The kits were provided by the district with the intention of actually using the product continually from here on out,” Kavanaugh said. “The germicide is user-friendly but it’s very effective. If used on a consistent basis it really will cut down on the transmission of germs.”

Drivers dilute the packet of liquid germicide with water and, with a reusable microfiber cloth, wipe down bus surfaces, like seat tops and windows, frequently touched by students.

One driver trained Wednesday said the cleaner was “very pleasant” and did not leave a strong odor, said Kavanaugh. In addition to killing germs and cleaning surfaces, the driver said it also got rid of dust. “Many of the drivers are also parents, and they’re excited because they know it’s protecting them as well as the children,” she added.

The germicide is the same as that used in Vicksburg school cafeterias and in some hospitals. “You don’t need gloves and it is not caustic,” she said, but if drivers are sensitive to the cleaner the district will provide them with gloves.

Students have also used hand sanitizer when boarding buses. “We have been trying to be very cautious,” Kavanaugh said.

More than 150 Vicksburg students have been reported with swine flu since the beginning of school Aug. 4. The district’s Web site, updated daily since early in the school year with the number of swine flu-related absentees, showed that no students were absent Wednesday or Thursday from the illness.

November and December, however, traditionally usher in the flu season, said Cyndee Nash, VWSD nurse coordinator. Low student illness numbers are common after a vacation week, as well, and most of Vicksburg Warren’s 9,000 students were off last week due to intercession.

It’s also common for the flu bug to hit students in waves, Nash said, with the first wave followed by a month or two of normalcy before the second, frequently worse, wave hits.

Vicksburg schools will soon receive swine flu shots to administer to students, thanks to a grant from the state Department of Health, but Nash said the district has not yet been informed when those shots will be made available here.

In the meantime, teachers and administrators continue to stress general precautions: wash hands thoroughly or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer, keep surfaces clean, use proper cough and sneeze etiquette, even on the bus.

The district bought 300 kits, put 160 on buses and will give the rest to school custodians. They’ll be trained to use the germicide in the schools, in addition to their regular cleaners, Kavanaugh said.

Kavanaugh would not say what the kits cost, but said they were “very economical” and were paid for from the building maintenance and supply budget.

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Contact Pamela Hitchins at phitchins@vicksburgpost.com