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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps) {, ^; `1 x+ c7 n; ~8 |
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Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM2 C' }0 f' u) g$ G0 a
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ctvtoronto.ca
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& O& r# s9 _1 m8 ?( D+ QThe 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% ]/ h. b* R; N3 ]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.+ b4 b4 T1 n" n# |" w. X- r) }9 x
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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.
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The cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.. C s9 k n" ~( v3 o
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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 t: r0 J) t7 C& ?- P+ e/ U: aMost of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.0 S2 a5 M3 B! V( {4 D
- f8 D, o: ~# ?5 @2 h5 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.! ^- k6 k. p) I9 n' E$ y6 X& Z
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"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.- {. J f9 I) ^' { ^. |' c1 z
- b/ r. E/ A6 g" U) w7 }; G3 O"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.
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+ N6 U% o+ O' v, kThose 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.6 h$ j, T% x8 o# Y. M! G! S
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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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