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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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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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) S2 ~ V2 z' t0 a8 g; M3 C4 t2 D6 jDr. 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.1 z+ ^0 E+ T o4 {" \
6 C3 i! F! 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.7 F" T$ N/ [8 V- w* [* o! f, n
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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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"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.7 r) f- U; M0 f9 l
: `% l- ]8 ]9 R* X: @/ @* ?Most of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.5 ~0 [# A% a7 a" l9 r7 w& K
7 U) Z) u1 H% _% A* pGardner 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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2 d, h" _1 C1 o- ["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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! v0 x) ?% _5 |, b; [Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.( g: A" o! u5 K
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"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said./ \1 g5 g6 m; V- {- k0 g
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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.2 Q+ R. Q C) f7 ?( l A) C
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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.* M5 H- a! z K8 `0 j/ y& C
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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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