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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps
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! i- Z4 x$ t4 z1 w/ ZUpdated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM
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ctvtoronto.ca1 g, g* Q! s- B4 e. n& W
& G4 z+ W: P: e- o3 mThe 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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+ \( m" J7 u8 nDr. 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.
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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." B9 q2 X- F9 X( k& t$ P
5 h. {- g4 d. ^! \The cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.9 i. g( p' L4 N$ F5 a6 `$ T
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"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.# p: Z! V# a% I i4 b0 ~$ ^3 Y
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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.8 O" f' u9 n) k9 j
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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.! C# a% _ X3 ]& m5 i3 W
* I+ L4 C3 K$ O1 ~& ?"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.0 q4 x- ~$ d; v* n9 ?- W6 n" Z9 m
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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.2 \6 J0 k' C# f5 e
Y; M N6 `: r$ g# \5 `. VThose 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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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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