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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps
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5 m* E5 j$ J+ j% j1 E% m1 n7 u! OUpdated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM
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. Z0 U6 c; L* D, Xctvtoronto.ca
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# U+ n) K# G6 {8 bThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.* m. y- P4 D% Q
2 i _1 T, U% t- \, u2 F. @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.6 H5 G1 R& e# i# }
: T+ ]0 O2 e! @' ?4 f* m: x' XThe 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.
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J# m4 G% O4 K"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said./ _2 @% V$ L% s! R4 {6 P+ }% J, e
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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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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.
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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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W. J& X" G& L' T! f4 t# }Parents 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." v& `# V1 i' L1 s8 Z5 u
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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 `$ v, D: w' z
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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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