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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps
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Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM
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* j9 h, B2 J' h n2 sThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.- U/ _7 I1 M: M: ?
7 B/ q- ?* C# Z U" y6 }7 SDr. 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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' }+ w$ ^5 A6 M$ L6 _- _8 zThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.
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"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said. V: h" g. E% 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.4 F6 _' R8 f! |: j
: H) m+ J- n" B/ v2 d9 oGardner 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.; i) o" H) K; `9 A9 r
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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." ?, s6 G9 z7 E$ |; V
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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.3 T/ r7 }( @% L
2 K( t) ^5 e4 W0 Z- \& |, `8 q"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
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$ K9 |, j$ U8 Z$ ~8 s! a0 ?) vThose 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.3 L2 e6 p9 p/ X9 f' F# M" |3 @
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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.: y! x% }$ ]9 O
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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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