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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps
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M/ j4 T( J8 q# k6 L4 \2 e6 nUpdated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM% U/ e" |! B$ d/ w6 i& R- `& A
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! d0 i- N! ~1 A8 X+ b# D: lThe 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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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.; A4 j1 S9 i+ Z7 f
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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.# ^, s" F. Y$ d( e+ M
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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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: L' I+ |% S y: O+ M& sThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.5 c- }# Y+ `( z5 a
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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 A: G6 s1 A! 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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3 C% \2 h& L9 MGardner 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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5 D, ~9 G3 s$ t2 i0 o' Z$ Y, d"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./ V1 Z2 z: H* \% h' C
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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.
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4 t1 e: j H# d& 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.
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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.# c- d7 e6 `+ A- L6 p2 f5 Q
- J: |" K) h. ]4 L' g& x* pHowever, 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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