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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! `+ `0 E$ X7 p1 j' k
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ctvtoronto.ca
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2 V e- J* h- N/ A# u# NThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu., a3 j2 ~1 W8 I
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Dr. 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.& n3 y W- y7 Z4 m( h, j
- K4 R$ ?9 @+ i( C' WThe 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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0 V" j* q( E3 P7 w( H" z1 MThe number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.9 J- z$ |6 @3 R$ ^
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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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0 Z: L; f" E2 z# ?7 d6 _"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.1 U' A( ?4 J% B+ [. ]
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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.
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) v: w$ K0 J' vGardner 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.
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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.; T D0 p8 E; W: U2 w/ M& x
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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.8 b( c. p8 k/ \, S. {3 `
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"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.* i$ d% X4 ]0 H# F5 M& C4 |0 A
! }- D# m2 ^& S1 s: q& s# `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.7 Q9 O( g" E- e4 Y) Y
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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.
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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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