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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps n0 C- T1 }/ K! J
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Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM4 ?2 D* r1 r" _3 d$ d* y2 G
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ctvtoronto.ca
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3 B' r6 Z# P+ gThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.: y- d( z# C* T2 D* {) N
' D" a- O+ S `- P l0 d K4 v5 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.: z1 ^! u0 h$ `/ u6 d
+ e: w$ H! Q: [; L9 d2 PThe 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./ f1 T8 @* M0 {0 U
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The cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.9 {; e! ?5 o/ E
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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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/ `9 C2 H5 I Z4 o) x. I G% \Most of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.7 M2 G3 G9 V! O* D6 k
w" ]3 X# w6 ]2 {9 LGardner 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.2 j1 H! ` `& W7 d5 T1 g: D
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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.. ~& ~' a: [- I+ ]3 I$ v' U6 q
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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.0 H: f) i0 F! x' i: |& v* d9 z( g
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"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.% B! F) @9 H9 k1 T3 `
7 q' n* v0 n) J4 y: d/ vThose 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.# B, C& m9 g9 J: Y: W
; ]' j- A5 Y2 F. h/ LGardner said the district thought there could be some outbreaks at camps this summer, given that some cases had occurred in schools.0 }* @ b2 V( d3 B5 M; U
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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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