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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps$ `+ R: v# {# I/ G9 Q) C' ]9 @0 L1 i
4 W6 O3 S* @! Y! yUpdated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM
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ctvtoronto.ca) W& u- x$ }' g3 P: l9 R& x
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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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+ `' K% }( j/ P6 Q. e/ r) }3 ]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.. e! r4 K; @, o8 `( ^- x3 C, T6 u
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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./ U1 U4 P& W$ C6 Z4 f. T
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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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The cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.6 }8 L$ {# L7 S) N9 r. T' w I; [/ u
2 |6 x$ O$ s0 p2 z4 N4 j"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.) R8 c3 `3 V$ w( D3 S
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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.
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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." h5 O9 P4 h( c7 l8 v1 e6 _/ K H
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"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 O+ k4 O. L: Z4 a! \
' j: S' K5 y9 Q R$ h0 a7 [Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.5 M! T" v- X; N* @( S
. Z/ a1 x& W8 Q; l% g"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
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! t; g D, m& p/ hThose 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.6 B7 S g, S9 v: ]
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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.- C/ T) J6 z( r2 d \, k9 s' W
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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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