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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps
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4 ?+ `2 X/ }1 y) IUpdated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM* z' F1 ]; H3 P) k4 L( g
5 [3 |/ ~+ ]5 e. kctvtoronto.ca& K* ^" ^* J% m+ m. @
8 e9 l% l O6 @( ]: S* HThe 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.; m& A/ t" o) @; R1 ?/ H7 Z
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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.
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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.6 Z9 d# Z) P$ K
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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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) M& {! u9 E; m# D"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.
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9 g& R& N' V4 s" 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.( Q/ y' o0 Q: V4 w2 N: ?1 w
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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.! E0 W0 p- g: {' b
' r, K l1 b( l" r; vParents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.
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W% c& j8 }& b# S# Q"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
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; d( }- ` O; V) d! ZThose 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.) W% q* M2 [! r$ H6 F7 J- r
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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.) P6 L& l9 T x: v$ {$ z8 h! I
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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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