The student is responding very well to treatment and will be out of school for about a week, Hackett said. A letter announcing the diagnosis was sent out in a mass e-mail on Monday morning.

The student has been diagnosed with influenza A — a flu virus different than the typical seasonal influenza B and which includes various strains, one of which is the new H1N1 flu, or swine flu.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recently made some changes in its guidance for handling flu cases and now considers an influenza A diagnosis to be “probable” H1N1 flu, according to Jen Manley, department spokesperson.

“A couple of weeks ago we asked clinicians to scale back the testing unless the person is severely ill or has some underlying illness,” Manley said. “It’s not as if there’s just one school or one area; it’s already out in the community.”

Someone diagnosed with influenza A is likely to have swine flu, Manley said, “because that’s the strain that’s going around right now.” Testing to confirm whether someone actually has H1N1 influenza is only being done at the state level, Manley said.

As of May 29, 529 cases of H1N1 influenza had been reported in Massachusetts, 32 of which were hospitalized.

“Our best recommendation is just to treat it as you would if it were the normal flu. Stay at home, get plenty of rest, cover your mouth and cough into your elbow instead of your hands,” Manley said.

It also is important for someone experiencing flu symptoms to stay home for a minimum of seven days or at least 24 hours after symptoms are completely gone — whichever is longer, Manley said. Though symptoms of any flu usually last about three to four days, officials advise taking the extra time off to help stop transmission of the flu.

“I know that’s hard for parents, especially if their child has something and they have to worry about working and daycare, but it really would help stop the spread of transmission, along with making sure they are washing their hands with warm water and soap for at least 30 seconds,” Manley said.

H1N1 influenza symptoms are the same as with seasonal flu — fever, cough and sore throat along with possible body aches, headache, chills and exhaustion. But one symptom — a fever — could raise a flag this time of year, when allergies are the more common ailment, Manley said.

First discovered in Mexico and confirmed in the United States in April, H1N1 influenza is a respiratory disease that is believed to be spread in the same way regular seasonal flu viruses spread, mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site.

Because it is a new virus, most people will not have immunity to it, and illness could be more severe and widespread as a result, according to the site.

Manley said the Department of Public Health has been working with each school or community individually and makes recommendations on a “case-by-case” basis.

A decision on whether to close a school is made jointly by the school administration and the local and state health departments.

Hackett said North Pembroke Elementary School does not meet any of the criteria for closing a school and will remain open. The student will be out for at least the required seven days.

On April 30, after two cases of swine flu were confirmed in Massachusetts, the superintendent sent a letter to parents with information about the flu. Since then, the administration has met with nurses and directed custodial staff to take extra precautions, Hackett said, including cleaning desks and placing antibacterial hand pumps in all classrooms.

“We’ve been pretty diligent in working with children and making sure they are washing their hands,” Hackett said. “The nurses have been hyper-vigilant in making sure any students who are showing flu-like symptoms are being checked by them and parents are being contacted.”

Hackett commended the student’s parent for making the effort to contact administrators over the weekend after the child was diagnosed and advised all parents to notify the schools in a similar situation.

“Parents should really be staying in tune with their children’s health, making sure if they demonstrate any symptoms that are listed in the letter that they do get them to a doctor as soon as possible,” he said.