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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps# ]$ `$ `& V* L+ d
( X1 V) G7 i6 Q( r. c: eUpdated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM! |/ ^0 |' ?0 V U& {+ p
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5 l* |- }9 j9 mThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.; v' v1 M: B5 g
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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.+ q+ \, { `* U: E; P/ F0 `9 B
V9 q) E& @5 l, Q$ pThe number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.
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' D4 X5 P% Y- yThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.
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% G, q" P# L; x"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.
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) a) x7 ~& @# |/ M, SMost 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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/ k" N- w+ R1 u5 l. yGardner 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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3 ]" k. i( r, h"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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! u# R* {* a1 E, b4 `"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.7 Q5 c I0 |$ `' |
0 c$ J- c- T; h5 s+ G" ^6 xThose 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 d/ h$ z; `) C: Y1 _0 o
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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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