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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
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5 |8 l8 K7 a9 B6 E; x( ]9 nctvtoronto.ca
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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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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.% B5 S' ]3 E( c: g8 Q# @
! v$ X6 y6 P9 l8 d6 g5 g- Q+ \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.3 J7 P V v0 y
& ^. h$ y+ E2 p+ d7 f* w$ ~3 H! r* zThe 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.
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. C$ v, ~5 E/ x1 l% Q0 d2 Y8 X' VMost of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.- |, t& X( e( ^0 e+ t3 X" W- u
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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 p6 r! l* Q" w" C: o8 e, p
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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.2 h. W- q: m' V* U- D7 o
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"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
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. ~: M0 u" \$ O! XThose 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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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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, F5 V) h! o. j8 nHowever, 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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