MABLETON - A "significant" number of students were sent home from Lindley Sixth Grade Academy in Mableton this week with flu-like symptoms. Officials are investigating the illnesses and looking for similarities.

On Thursday, a number of children visited the school nurse with a variety of symptoms, some with fevers, said Darlene Foote, spokeswoman for the Cobb & Douglas Public Health.

"A significant number of students were sent home from the school," said Foote, who did not provide the Journal with any numbers.

"Our plan is to investigate each student's illness. We will be contacting parents to check on children who were sent home from school or absent to get a better understanding of how many children have influenza-like symptoms or other symptoms. We will look for commonalities in the illnesses," she said.

The health department will also check with students' health care providers to confirm illness reports and to see if any testing was conducted.

A Cobb County School District spokesman told the Journal on Thursday night that early indications point to some type of stomach bug.

Although there has not been a confirmed case of swine flu at Lindley, Foot said a diagnosed case of H1N1 in a school does not change recommendations for handling a cluster of flu-like illnesses.

"The students and staff need to practice cough etiquette, wash their hands, stay home if they are sick, and those ill need to remain out of school until 24 hours after a fever without the use of fever reducing medications," Foote advised.