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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps
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$ H2 |4 X1 |' ^2 l! O% ?Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM" c& x$ j$ k% @2 q* }( [
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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.
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9 D# ]" W2 C' }5 B9 p$ g8 ~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.
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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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4 ~! Y; _& O- V- yThe number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.
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( i9 H' u. K& ^* g7 J- Q: S7 ZThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.6 l' d* o4 n3 z
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"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.# j* |& q( ]' i3 @
. O, [! `9 o4 g$ x9 s0 A2 b: B3 aMost of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine./ O; H( J; ~ a4 ?! m, i) W2 |
% k4 V) ~8 I" G% O. iGardner 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.. I( K6 [9 s* D, w% V$ v
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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.
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( k' ?- f5 L& T5 y2 M1 T$ ~. G"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
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! V1 A3 w6 ?7 S+ D: pThose 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.9 a5 t$ `8 q' L2 i" a6 r/ @/ H
8 v6 o/ J1 G" A) OGardner 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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