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H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps. O5 y" f7 y5 v; U1 Z5 f
; U4 Y, V' n5 b0 {Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM2 Q+ F- W% m$ Q
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ctvtoronto.ca
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: G. \# @5 K* Y5 U; Y$ _9 e3 HThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.: ~. L# @2 \ b) H" Q8 _. Z
% {: k# \9 K7 j% R2 c' o& X1 cDr. 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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( ]# F. Y2 c! C; Q* S5 l1 uThe 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.9 {- Q) Z9 z! \* `' e$ P
. z# [ M) k) g: DThe 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.5 l4 q2 j. ?4 d
2 M8 E' W( R& V% A: }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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5 z. M. D d4 Q$ pGardner 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. r# m4 c' @! w( V* R5 e; Z
1 T& b9 {" I, y; d5 t# R6 I"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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% P" a' p' X6 d/ \3 g; ?Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.
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' N' j+ d4 |; I/ @"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.; e& _ ] e2 K6 C- |
6 p& k) {" d: g& K% Y/ f# EThose 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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}* p3 ]- c$ O! rGardner said the district thought there could be some outbreaks at camps this summer, given that some cases had occurred in schools., d/ M# g: Q: H4 c
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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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