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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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ctvtoronto.ca1 E; |* q2 A0 {) E4 e" u, e0 A
, x8 E, O) x. i; [) DThe 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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. k! n L8 D: P5 xDr. 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.) _+ k! O4 s' {4 m/ M+ X# M
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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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% p7 ]4 x9 _% O8 ]" o2 B' jThe number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.
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8 J) f# A S' Y! z- |% WThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.4 a5 V F) }7 a6 J
! d5 M0 u; b# @" x a# e"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.* V! w; y) l; { |9 ?6 X+ J
. J, V* p2 {. B; W' lMost 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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! {) {4 y6 }3 O xGardner 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.. ~( M% L A7 E( K/ `, A. r
2 D) c( e# w" d, c"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.- D' T5 W: k1 Z3 g6 A7 d0 [- o! J$ Y
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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said. ?" }3 J& L: r0 u) j" y2 O& ?( l [
7 u% ~) I/ ]- h, u( X+ `"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
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- w$ v3 v; t# a6 k( ]% R( y0 _* AThose 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.& T5 I0 c5 y, ^" }: y# B, B4 ~
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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.
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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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