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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps% ~3 L, E$ J& A- O
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Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM
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ctvtoronto.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.5 A, P5 q4 g0 `( s1 j& f
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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.6 B: y: G) I) p J; T
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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.; z3 B: C" X' ~+ V: }3 g; L
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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.) R- D# M# @1 P' I3 U9 m" c& 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.
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5 M7 }) l; Q! v! W1 @Most of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.& l; A" D# m \5 P4 D! f) j. Y
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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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) i7 J4 k6 G4 s4 H! P" ?& Z"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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1 [& q# P" o- M- |Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.
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3 T8 ^6 U8 R( e* k"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.7 H3 M; A# ?: T& ~. H
1 I4 @' y+ P$ k- V3 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.
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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./ \/ [9 b/ |! V" C& m+ e% \6 C& I
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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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