The flu,  both Influenza and stomach flu is going around in Arlington. They canceled school on February 15th and 18th because 1/3 of the student body was out sick. But doctor's are also eying another illness.

Like influenza, pink eye or conjunctivitis is also highly contagious. You might recall, the Centerville School District canceled school the week of February 4th ago because that was one of the ailments keeping kids away from school.

One of the Avera McKennan marketing offices in Sioux Falls has been hit with pink eye. And work is started to pile up on at least one of the desks because of it. It started when Nancy Hespe thought she was getting an eye infection.

Nancy says, "The next day I go to put my contacts in and it felt like gravel. It just felt like I had a tons of gravel up in my eye. I took my contacts out and said I'm going to the doctor."

She ended up staying home for two days, but because it is contagious and they share papers, use the same coffee pot and are close together in a small area... it spread quickly.

Nancy says, " I was only here for 45 minutes. I worked at my desk, worked at the front desk and I even cleaned every thing off by Friday (2 days later) my colleague had gotten it. She's been out most of the week."

Another one got it the day we shot this story. That means 3 out of 5 in that office contracted pink eye.

Dr. Courtney Moose is a family medicine physician at the McGreevy Clinic Avera Southeast in Sioux Falls. She says, "It's pretty much person to person contact like that or touching the same object shortly after they do so wash your hands a lot and try not to touch your eyes."

Dr. Moose says the same virus that causes a lot of colds can cause pink eye. She always sees a lot of it this time of year when everyone is inside.  Unfortunately because it's a virus, there's not a whole lot medicine can do.  But what you can do to prevent the spread is to stay home and keep the kids home.