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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps6 b G3 B, h' i* e
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Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM' m2 b N7 a; @
$ W6 U$ b! i( nctvtoronto.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./ v( P2 M9 l/ q, z/ q
$ r# ?' N$ H1 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.& W# |) z6 h- t: l% [5 x. y7 D9 J
$ y4 [" j: [* C. H. r6 k- CThe 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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$ H7 ]2 n/ v$ Y2 dThe number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.* `; M) M& W$ E+ G! K: Y
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The cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.
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; {4 `( P1 X" H"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.
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- ]& e: a) T/ pMost of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.* \. v( N7 N- e) e
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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.0 O3 J2 r6 b/ t/ c* t6 K
2 ^- F- x8 [: b. U, R"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 A5 F q$ J, W3 M) X
4 C+ [: J. G) W6 A$ J7 UParents 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.
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: v- Y( m9 W% P7 LThose 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.+ B, |4 A7 |3 r% q% a
) ^1 a5 b+ G: I. g5 |7 mHowever, 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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