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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& M$ o5 E$ M, n8 i; g0 e, \
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ctvtoronto.ca
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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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, p g# h8 V$ yDr. 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.0 t* \1 D; z, f7 R1 }
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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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2 T) @8 r; h' H& aThe 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.! l- q0 B$ N. z0 Y! \( z
/ f! s( V! b2 Z7 F' Q"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.$ |$ u( A# [7 P( C( \
! K" |$ v; F, ~& m( I. t: {Most of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.1 W& S ?/ u/ w: k" o) C- v6 f' U
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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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+ G6 m2 w' B* h- T6 U6 _"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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4 L( f9 e5 }8 T0 i8 b6 L8 W: F3 |Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said." W; t* a- d6 N
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"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.7 |" R: V9 h7 j
9 U& p6 Z6 s! U- c- m" WThose 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.' q7 M7 C! \, U( ?
2 b3 u) t0 [& ]9 C) w) LHowever, 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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