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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- @4 z9 G3 E+ O5 ^
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ctvtoronto.ca
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5 |( u: k4 C3 y" G5 TThe 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.
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8 C9 v# m. R" x8 z8 K9 D+ o6 u5 qThe 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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0 W8 h5 X2 Q I$ ^* F: `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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$ M" \# s, @5 z- `, ~The cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.- W" D( _; L* J9 h' D3 r4 t9 B3 C/ D5 ~
! R4 o4 J2 ]3 k"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.7 P) L [; k* K6 C& P2 k' ?
. ^4 ?: g: e T/ oMost 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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6 k/ ?3 t7 A) f2 fGardner 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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"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 N' j% R! c6 U3 x$ C( ]3 R
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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.
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1 s; t" N+ P) q. t( Z"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
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X1 [9 l# z; |% D, ^- h3 EThose 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 Y/ ^' g4 ]- y& z( H: P- g
: [$ g7 E2 M/ t( M9 K2 f# qGardner 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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