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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/ ]6 ?5 b4 d- P& R T" h0 I- v
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ctvtoronto.ca4 l: o1 |' A0 }+ m+ c9 G0 p
8 k2 o8 P- @5 [2 \, BThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu., o* I7 a6 y# F6 `
; O- Z' J4 V" Z0 R4 x; GDr. 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.3 }+ r6 w- \5 ^! `
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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., m8 y& G! [+ l/ `
' O* T) {3 F$ _8 Q6 DThe number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.3 U" V. }+ c. G. R
9 s2 A5 ~ Z8 y, c2 NThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.) C* Q0 f" _! i/ l; E
v# C3 {1 o- }"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.
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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.
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( u# j# i1 @+ v* ~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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: G! u6 f$ l2 p3 h7 \2 y1 }"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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% \, `9 V% S$ V% iParents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.
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; R- z$ o0 L3 T* d" M; s- o W"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.. Z4 a) C* H' S! t n. |, N. c
3 Q+ D; R& n2 J- y, P3 u# H& sGardner said the district thought there could be some outbreaks at camps this summer, given that some cases had occurred in schools.2 U1 o0 Q0 w/ l. e' F2 b
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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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