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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps" \9 ^( F2 c$ W
3 |3 F% {# g" Q6 O6 P& ^Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM
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ctvtoronto.ca
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: M2 l$ Q4 S, | E% o) [5 y$ SThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.% U# x9 s; S9 w5 ^5 u& S8 j
" K3 w- @! B% p% mDr. 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.6 Q8 }- l/ t( r% }# @- ~
( w/ v. X4 y4 AThe 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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1 n$ ~$ i2 r* o, yThe number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.
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1 \1 Y) H+ N6 |, y& nThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.
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"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.7 n$ |2 T/ C: i
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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.+ ~" R9 {1 \5 Y1 @, k
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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.
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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said." G$ x1 W5 m- H7 D
* n: t- L1 p% S2 Z9 a' {"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
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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.6 ?$ l& N$ t8 }& Q7 L) T
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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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; A# {( O% M; S j' F: K2 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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