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/
