SYDNEY, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- A team of specialist cleaning staff were sent to a Queensland State school on Friday to sanitize classrooms after almost 200 students fell ill, along with 15 teachers.

Although Middle Park School has remained open despite losing one third of their students, Principal Anne Kitchin urged parents to keep their children at home until the "extraordinary outbreak" is over.

"The Health Department has stressed the importance of keeping students home who have any influenza-like symptoms and their absence should be continued until they have no influenza-like symptoms," she said.

Believed to influenza A and B, the Queensland education department said in a statement that the school is doing all they can to combat the outbreak and "will conduct additional hygienic cleaning of school premises over the coming days."

The school also confirmed that a technology excursion for Year 6 students has been cancelled.?