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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps
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: o) v+ X' l, G Y8 q6 NUpdated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM9 h) ^# D- G) @0 s/ H' Q
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ctvtoronto.ca
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# S" u1 L6 F3 a& b2 H& `* QThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu." A4 E4 K8 i) i K
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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.
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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.
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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.+ P4 I# A( T" N$ H* I g# M6 c
( g7 k W$ q" u7 cThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.8 i5 x0 ? }- F. d5 B0 R* z
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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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1 g2 D& D# E, c! Q% fMost 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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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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: H% B g5 H1 o2 X2 l+ _"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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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.
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"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.' Q/ P. b' v+ Z# L& y
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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. N, e3 n6 _; p! g. W( |
" ^& U, @- A. T$ A: WGardner 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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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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