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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps6 N- h$ a8 L" n4 s2 n
u5 H: y) [/ r2 qUpdated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM5 I v0 H8 o; h# H
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ctvtoronto.ca
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The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.- \% ?! Q& g+ c+ I
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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.2 f$ L, L4 |9 e( n5 K" E' b, e/ }
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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.
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The cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.
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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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Most 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.1 l7 Z. X0 q# E0 P5 L q
- z z# u/ t, b$ F. G9 b1 Z"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.0 L1 m" K# l& F( G" l! B" Q
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Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.
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9 A; \; ` t+ ~) ~7 E: z+ ]* F"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.0 [5 m% u1 X) H# ~7 D) [
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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., g8 g3 F4 O2 F! T
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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.3 i% M. c7 M1 L% g" m Z/ l1 P
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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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