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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps
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) B- L- u0 T" H/ k5 z. O6 fUpdated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM
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- [1 u. H: p6 e2 l, ]The 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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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.9 q9 n& j: v/ ^& a
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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.* P" L! c7 v# r3 [/ E
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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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The cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.' ^7 \- ?) _- {- K% [# b' S+ ]
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"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.7 B7 i. Z1 ^. c7 a3 j0 U( I4 Y- u, D
7 j8 X( _$ R% m, R! IMost 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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! Q8 ^! n. g1 ]* M# F) yGardner 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.0 p0 |& w' d- |: r; z; m% D
9 ?8 k4 d* h7 [0 c2 f# K: I"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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) Y$ g( _/ O- d+ nParents 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., _/ a' B# E0 E1 ]8 A
V& \8 F: h- @0 nThose 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.+ k/ p% r; D- `
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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.. u" y- I' d b' G1 t. a
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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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