Swine flu outbreak at Hamilton County camp

Swine flu broke out at a Hamilton County summer camp.

In a letter sent home to parents, officials from the Deerfoot Lodge in Specular, say that they have two confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus and that about twenty campers and staff have flu like symptoms.

Here is a copy of the letter:

June 26, 2009

Dear Parents,

We are one week into session 1. We were off to a great start until sickness began to spread.

This letter is to inform you that recent cultures have revealed that we are experiencing an

outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1, or previously referred to as "swine flu"). We have been

working closely with our state and local health officials to implement procedures designed to

prevent the spread of the illness. Although to date, the majority of illness has been mild in the

US and at our camp, we realize that many people are worried and we hope this letter will address

your concern. Individuals with underlying health conditions could be at higher risk for

complications.

We are working with our Camp Health Director and local health officials to monitor the situation

here. Two cultures that were submitted came back positive for H1N1. It is thus assumed that all

those with similar symptoms are also infected (20 campers and staff). Our efforts to isolate those

who are infected appear to be hindering the spread. Those who are sick are recovering well.

Your prayers are appreciated. We want to stop the spread and see those who are sick become

well soon.

We wanted to notify you of the current situation in case you wish to check with your child's

health provider. The families of all infected staff and campers have already been contacted

directly, so there is no need to contact camp.

Despite cases of the flu in camp, at this time, the state and local health departments have advised

us that children can continue to come to camp as long as they are not sick and do not appear to

have flu symptoms. Flu-like symptoms include: fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or more),

feverishness, cough, sore throat, runny nose, or stuffy nose. Additional symptoms may be

experienced with H1N1, including muscle pain, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea.

Despite this outbreak, camp continues to run normally for the majority of campers and the

mission to build godly men is still underway. For your information, please read the guidelines

from the NYS Department of Health on the following page.

Thank you for your prayers & support of Deerfoot.

Chief Ron

From the New York State Department of Health:

Flu spreads easily. If your child has the flu, it is important that he/she does not attend camp or

go anywhere else where other people would be exposed to flu germs. It is also important to

teach your children how to reduce their risk of getting the flu or protect others from infection.

• Teach your children to wash their hands often. Washing with soap and hot water for at least

20 seconds is ideal.

• Teach your children the proper use of hand sanitizer. Gels, rubs, and hand wipes all work

well, as long as they contain at least 60% alcohol. Hand wipes must be disposed of properly.

Always read and follow label instructions when using hand sanitizer.

• Teach your children to keep their hands away from their face and avoid touching their mouth,

nose or eyes.

• Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of

their elbow. Cough or sneeze into your sleeve-not your hands!

• Help your children learn these healthy habits by setting a good example and always doing

them yourself.

Additional information can be found at the website for the New York State Dept. of Health -

www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/influenza/h1n1/