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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps$ o- b- L \0 x/ m
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Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM6 R# e! L* f a$ ]1 A9 j1 n- b
6 Z! s8 w) e" p) w bctvtoronto.ca; Q* @" K. }. P8 h# N% ~
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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.6 g8 z: E; I5 B
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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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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.. c, j# ]" g$ }; D" _
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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.; a \, }$ j5 x/ H
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"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.( ~* w2 k) T& D, O$ a9 \. Y
7 I# M+ b6 m; k# u/ A) }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.
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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 b1 |& x" I8 _0 `& D' v. _
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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said. P, ~. T8 W0 y4 i% k
( }0 ?7 J6 F# V& q- t @8 C- j% y"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
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- o8 E0 s! h7 b$ |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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9 \& `: @# V+ x# R! k! x; g8 J, _Gardner said the district thought there could be some outbreaks at camps this summer, given that some cases had occurred in schools.( g- ]& t1 ~1 s: O! c' F4 E
& o$ ?2 I( F: V+ OHowever, 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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