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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps. t% P) m1 U/ H/ X7 m6 t
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Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM
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ctvtoronto.ca. @8 K+ {6 o7 f% A% U) ?$ [
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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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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.! ?7 g$ f# l" W6 ]4 B4 ]
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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.1 m% c& r& p" P ?- l% o$ T6 g: V
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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.
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, ?8 @) {! k* c! ~% \ y- d/ dThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.4 |. {) R& A# N8 [
5 v' H1 e$ S# ^"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.
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z- h6 q d: p1 s" FMost of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.0 j5 w( n$ w2 F: s, o
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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.% k- B, i! b! {# h* h4 E
" q& a5 T; \" q) a; 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.
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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.& b5 C! Q$ r# }3 E' f
$ {6 P+ a S1 O5 \$ C% `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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+ N* f5 J+ d* l6 v; G" fHowever, 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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