 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps
$ H+ \9 S* f& t) X) [2 x
( c( c5 k& u, C9 j. p, p R% ZUpdated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM3 f' L2 O) F y$ B8 x% l5 T) z
: B" F, Y/ F, c! s2 J
ctvtoronto.ca y4 O! W3 {% |7 [/ j5 v
% |$ }/ Z( E* e/ _The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.
1 w; E* ^' P$ T) Y* R. p$ B9 r& |! g/ }+ J, s8 D
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.
$ \6 ^- B% P$ `$ |+ p' p* l7 b
: M' p5 G. D' V9 e+ gThe 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.
0 `2 N' ^$ f4 J0 X1 _3 i. r) a
' }- V2 a2 T$ I# EThe number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.
" b. q N+ @, A0 l: v
# B4 P: q. y; ?0 XThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.
' U( `( x" ^+ z" }" i. ]
- p" K7 ~1 b/ ^3 P1 M% t4 b$ i"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.
8 Z4 J3 v4 S1 d1 P! H, F8 C; b. J4 g6 m. g$ d! [9 g1 o
Most of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.
- e$ r( Q+ @, j( r3 v, ]5 F( ?, P z2 _4 W9 z, U5 T h2 ?: g
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.
, |( n& u, T, a8 ~+ C
0 X) e; S+ i. k"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.
' t! [' f4 ?3 z9 b0 \& ?% ]
. ^1 x6 o6 N S8 T3 c( JParents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.- {6 z7 `% R. T; f' x; y
' p0 J% D3 P) R- x2 O2 @
"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
: m5 A$ L6 u9 V5 A% m& X5 Z4 |7 C
, W! d8 v; C& S4 tThose 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 @# p: x6 S# Q
4 A7 u0 h4 `1 A& }9 SGardner said the district thought there could be some outbreaks at camps this summer, given that some cases had occurred in schools.; f( Q5 d( Q2 s- h9 {
5 \8 }" P2 [" g8 e" \However, normally the district is usually more focused on working with camps to prevent outbreaks of gastroenteric diseases and on injury prevention, he said. |
|