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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps' b* K2 Y- y0 E4 B
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Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM
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The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.2 e' H. z. A6 X/ W3 S
; Q" q" p0 q4 ` \1 WDr. Charles Gardner, the district's chief medical officer of health, told ctvtoronto.ca on Wednesday that the district isn't saying which three camps are involved.
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The lakeland area of central Ontario covered by the district has 71 registered camps. The three camps involved had 1,275 campers and 480 staff, he said.
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The number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.
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! U7 ?9 c2 J) T+ YThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.; o) i9 M+ z U' o/ g+ l2 M; D3 G, \
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"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said., N& E' C6 ^0 w6 Y* `( M% z$ x
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Most of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.$ k; D1 z3 }! l' u+ M2 T
# P) Z$ S a/ n! s, FGardner said the district is also having all camps tell all parents in writing that "this is an unusual year" -- referring to the outbreak of H1N1, which the World Health Organization has declared a pandemic., c6 o* [0 n, L& a
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"They need to be aware of H1N1 influenza, that we've had three outbreaks to date and there's the possibility we could have others," he said.
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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.
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% \! N; B6 C: Y+ E"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said./ _ S0 }* f% _$ L
/ Z/ q' L1 d7 ~8 u1 gThose symptoms include fever, cough, sore throats or a general sense of malaise. "If that's happening within seven days of them coming to a camp, they should not go," he said.$ @" U) H( I" h) {6 e4 K
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Gardner said the district thought there could be some outbreaks at camps this summer, given that some cases had occurred in schools.0 c B0 M" `, S( m" ~
9 J5 `" H* k; L" ^$ _% `However, normally the district is usually more focused on working with camps to prevent outbreaks of gastroenteric diseases and on injury prevention, he said. |
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