More than a quarter of pupils at a Scottish secondary school have called in sick today after an apparent swine flu outbreak. Linlithgow academy in West Lothian has reported an "abnormally high" number of children with flu-like symptoms. The Scottish government said that 14 pupils have been confirmed by their GPs as having the swine flu virus, while 40 children were absent at nearby Linlithgow primary school.

290 pupils did not attend the academy today, West Lothian council said, with 135 of them reporting flu-like symptoms. Linlithgow academy, which has 1,100 pupils, normally has around 100 pupil absences a day. Council officials said the school is being kept open for the time being, but they have written to all parents and carers and urged them to be aware of symptoms as a precaution.

Gordon Ford, West Lothian council's director of education, said: "Clearly there is a high incidence of flu in the school community and we want to make sure that everyone is aware of the symptoms and that they should seek medical advice if their child shows signs of developing flu."

The letter advises parents to seek medical advice if flu symptoms develop, if their child has underlying health issues or if they are concerned about their child's health. Ford said the school would remain open for the time being. "We are following government guidance on managing this outbreak and there are no plans to close schools at this time, and all children who are not showing symptoms should continue to attend as normal.

"School closures will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, for example, if enough staff are off sick to mean that we cannot safely open the school.  We will alert parents and carers if this were to happen."

NHS Lothian advised parents to contact their GP or call NHS 24 on 08454 242424 if they think their child might have swine flu. Dr Alison McCallum, director of public health at NHS Lothian, said: "We are working closely with West Lothian council following reports of a number of pupils with flu-like symptoms in the Linlithgow area. This situation is being closely monitored.

"Most people experience mild symptoms and make a full recovery. Practising good hand and personal hygiene will help reduce the spread of the virus. Parents should make sure their children are washing their hands regularly, and that they cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, with a tissue if possible."

A spokesman for West Lothian council said no other schools in the local authority area had reported similar absence levels.

Gordon Ford said any child displaying flu symptoms should stay away from school and, as far as possible, not mix with others until they are free of symptoms.

As with other parts of the UK, rates of swine flu have been increasing recently in Scotland. Estimates suggest that at the beginning of October some 13,800 people caught the virus north of the border, compared to 7,000 the previous week. Fifteen people required hospital admission. Since the start of the outbreak there have been 10 deaths.