 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
H1N1 flu outbreak reported at Ontario summer camps7 B) B* A2 N5 z$ r, ^
+ M/ k# s& |* ^# J P* v6 W
Updated: Wed Jul. 15 2009 3:50:08 PM- D2 p- J3 j8 |5 y1 C
$ K: v& _4 c G! d
ctvtoronto.ca
9 e% v7 w3 `, _) U6 o! f- W; u) w6 b; x2 z- a& ?
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting that 227 young people at three summer camps in cottage country have developed H1N1 flu.* n% T% R0 M5 ~
9 y+ _2 O- s c5 K$ Z, I
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., N& X8 [& Q2 Y+ Z" t& ~8 I
6 Y6 d$ K( z7 p' V: ]3 E
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.
% R* u# O. i. I/ `
& t! F2 P1 I. I: E0 u w% g, k1 i- _The number of infected represents almost one in five campers and almost one in seven camp staffers at the affected camps.
# ~5 b9 R# \4 [
! @4 l+ Y" M1 a* p$ j- g1 \7 e- M9 [7 OThe cases developed in the past week. All are considered mild, meaning no one required hospitalization, Gardner said.
$ P! d) H8 _2 i& p! F
6 n U8 V- d8 o2 i5 f"The camps are working very closely with the health unit to implement what we call control measures," he said.
6 `. J9 S j# x3 g) F
3 }6 l! \) D/ l2 i( i' BMost of the infected campers have been sent home to recover. Those who can't be sent home for whatever reason are in quarantine.
, l, g3 `2 f5 W5 |- u( `( F0 r3 P* p" b5 r! U
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.
0 n" W8 U1 P% d/ s S+ H- d; x+ H, T* k; V' A; x
"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." ^" s! m3 V9 W1 P9 L# x: N
# |; s# _8 Y7 @4 N8 _
Parents can help by making sure they aren't sending sick children to camp, Gardner said.
# ~4 h& t$ z# e, I1 n2 s% p. Z/ E+ m2 B+ Q1 {+ s9 h
"Do not send your children to camp if they have any influenza-like illness," he said.* s: X3 M. A6 ^& P4 z) j
/ E; {$ h* P1 j
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.
% \3 h! w0 i, c A* y V8 P0 E$ f" j! a( \( b' l
Gardner said the district thought there could be some outbreaks at camps this summer, given that some cases had occurred in schools.
& i% h$ A% E% d7 `2 ^' i1 r
4 t8 t- `' [. K: V# M9 oHowever, normally the district is usually more focused on working with camps to prevent outbreaks of gastroenteric diseases and on injury prevention, he said. |
|