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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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ctvtoronto.ca; G' q) C( \! w8 D1 U9 Q
E1 ~: j5 P: M% x+ P1 F0 a* W) y3 GThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.
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$ C* g+ B2 c7 _6 x# e7 iDr. 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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m3 @& z6 X* w0 y$ OThe 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.5 l; K3 q: l. a4 L: u6 t# O0 G" n7 ?
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The 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.0 q# D, p) d% _: C5 m
) G, }4 d/ g9 p, L8 l1 ]Most of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.3 p. l p% ~& G' j7 g
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Gardner 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." ?( L: t$ v& f% T% I) @6 }
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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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- f1 A6 f& i5 \5 J+ T' |& p$ d7 i) k- yParents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.
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"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.2 W$ n' o3 h6 |) d5 Y7 P" H
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Those 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.2 l% _: ?5 K$ T4 C/ s
* I: M4 U7 c P1 s& L7 G# KGardner said the district thought there could be some outbreaks at camps this summer, given that some cases had occurred in schools.
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1 V/ D" Q( E9 P0 oHowever, 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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