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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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' L9 S7 S- d$ ?" D: o# `ctvtoronto.ca t9 }: V1 G" n$ S# @- w
4 V' M1 U; W/ l- p& o. V- vThe 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.* Y, h# M1 ]4 |& w0 L
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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.. o/ z) U8 M4 |: g/ A ]4 |3 t
# Z& b0 S) u5 H0 U' y0 W3 AThe number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.' E1 q& v0 F5 B0 ]* d8 W
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The cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.7 l& W2 J; a; F7 V! ?, U$ L: t
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"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.
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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.+ c5 w; W1 y( m, S: D2 S4 q' v
. ]6 D% d6 [2 C$ w: _% [$ RParents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.8 {: P- f. p0 S% b0 T
% A' U; i. T: Y4 H% h( c: \5 k"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
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" @% r; ]# c) \: r) AThose 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.3 q+ w; V. K C1 l. Q3 h" w
( B1 D8 K8 G3 k1 ]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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