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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps
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( l0 K2 @* F. w( s- PUpdated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM) U; S- }' C3 a# w( A3 O
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ctvtoronto.ca
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& d. c* \2 P- {+ |3 fThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.+ I+ m* y) j ~& q2 E
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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.* g2 ]' b! Z3 b& f( U
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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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The number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.0 W3 W1 D! C" s* l9 X: ^' `
8 V; {% p* I( a2 IThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.
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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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" n/ g* _; C- L% q5 }4 gMost of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.5 w& V5 e2 x( j3 @
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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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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.) V- X0 p9 @0 V& K4 d& U3 M
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"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.) U9 ?& h5 h, f, o. @
1 X8 W0 }9 |0 w& [+ k6 ^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.
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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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1 @, ~! C# C y! Z) `/ d9 eHowever, 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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