WESLACO — A high school student here who tested positive for type A influenza is the first probable case of swine flu in Hidalgo County.

County officials are awaiting test results from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to determine whether the student actually has swine flu.

Officials learned the results of the type A influenza test early Thursday morning. They would not provide the age or gender of the student or say which school the student attends. Weslaco has three high schools.

Weslaco schools Superintendent Richard Rivera announced Thursday afternoon that all schools would be closed for the next week as a precaution.

The district's schools will reopen May 7, though they could open sooner if the test for swine flu comes back negative.

Those results could come as early as Sunday or Monday, said Eddie Olivarez, chief administrative officer for the Hidalgo County Health Department.

Over the next week, custodial crews will disinfect classrooms and school buses throughout the district, Rivera said.

Officials are requesting that the state reschedule testing for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills that would have taken place in the district Friday.

Olivarez also said there hasn't been a spike in flu cases in the Mid-Valley and said attendance at Weslaco schools has actually been at or even better than its usual levels.

"This is simply a precaution - a very necessary precaution," Weslaco Mayor Buddy De La Rosa said.

Meanwhile, students in Rio Grande City remain off from school.

The Rio Grande City school district, working with county and state health officials, will assess the campuses today or Saturday to see if it can reopen buildings for classes on Monday. In the meantime, crews have been cleaning all 13 of the district's schools, said Roel Gonzalez, the district's superintendent.

So far, there have been three confirmed cases of swine flu in the Rio Grande Valley. Two Starr County middle school students are recuperating from the virus at home and a Brownsville toddler is receiving treatment in San Antonio.

No confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported in Hidalgo County and representatives from school districts throughout the county urge people to keep their children home if they are sick and follow media reports for updates.

"Again, we are following the lead of health officials, and if it comes to a school closing, we will definitely let you know," McAllen school district spokesman Mark May wrote in an e-mail.

The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district has been sending home students who display flu-like symptoms, said Arianna Vázquez-Hernández, the district's spokeswoman.

The Rio Grande City school district first closed Veterans Middle School on Tuesday after two students were suspected to have swine flu. Those cases were confirmed Wednesday, and the district decided to close all of its schools for the remainder of the week.

Dr. Brian Smith, regional director for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said the students "are doing well."

As a precaution, the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville closed its Immaculate Conception School in Rio Grande City after the public school district shut down its campuses, said Brenda Riojas, the diocese's spokeswoman.

School districts in Cameron and Willacy counties will remain open as health officials continue testing sick people for swine flu and making sure the illness doesn't spread further.

Harlingen schools Superintendent Steve Flores said parents are not relieved yet but understand that the school district is taking the swine flu virus seriously.

"We still have students who have flu-like symptoms, but the message is out that if a student is feeling sick, they are not to come to school," Flores said.

Ruben Franco, San Benito school district planner and evaluator, said attendance remains at over 95 percent in that school district.

Raymondville schools Superintendent Johnny Piñeda said this week that his district is concentrating on cleanliness and hygiene.

Border universities monitored the swine flu virus closely as the Mexican death toll climbed.

The University of Texas-Brownsville/Texas Southmost College plans to hold a campus community forum today to discuss the impact of the swine flu.

Other University of Texas System schools near the border, like University of Texas-El Paso and University of Texas-Pan American, will also remain open, though UTPA announced Wednesday that it would close its Starr County Upper-Level Center until at least May 5.

UTB Interim Provost Antonio Zavaleta said that if the flu outbreak had to happen, it was well timed.

"Classes are ending and there will be a break before the summer term," Zavaleta said. "That allows us to adjust and monitor the situation closely."