After nine days of battle with the University community, the flu epidemic is finally retreating.

"The epidemic disappeared as quickly as it started," said Dr. Harry McDermott, director of Ritenour Health Center. "It came in on the 20th and was gone by the 29th."

Over the course of the past week, Ritenour received 2,000 extra visits, but appointment levels have returned to normal, he said.

Also this week, the flu was officially identified as Type A/Sichuan - one of three strains predicted this fall to hit the United States, McDermott said.

"Type A/Sichuan is associated with large groups of people," said epidemiologist Jonathon Hibbs of the State Health Center.

Ritenour took steps this fall to protect individuals considered at high risk -- because of age, diabetes, immunity problems, respiratory ailments or involvement in health care -- following predictions issued by the Center for Disease Control.

The center, located in Atlanta, gathers information about flu epidemics in Asia, and determines what types will most likely strike the United States, McDermott said. Flu viruses in the United States normally follow those in Asia by a year, he explained.

"We average 400 visits per day and it suddenly shot up to 550," McDermott said. "When this persisted into the following week we felt we had an epidemic on our hands and decided to call the state Department of Health and they sent two epidemiologists."

The epidemiologists, specialists who track and try to identify diseases, took nose and throat cultures from 10 students to determine what strain they had, McDermott said.

According to the epidemiologists, one-third of the student population was infected, McDermott said. "It hit some people like the common cold, while others had a temperature of 104."

Nationally, Type A/Sichuan has been less frequent this year, Hibbs said.

One of the threats of the flu is complications, said McDermott.

Some people will be left with either bronchitis, a sinus infection, ear infection or a lingering viral infection, he said.

"The last epidemic of this magnitude probably occurred eight years ago," McDermott said.

The epidemic resulted in an inundation of calls from students requesting medical excuses for missed classes, said Joanie Screen, registered nurse and primary care coordinator at Ritenour.

"It is health center policy that we do not give medical excuses because anyone can write a medical excuse basically," Screen said.

When a student is treated at Ritenour, he or she can sign a "Release of Information" form so that the professor can call to verify the absence, she said.

Absent students who treated themselves and did not come in to Ritenour for help may have problems, Screen said.

"We're asking professors to be understanding in this period because we really have no way of knowing how many students have been affected," she said.