Flu Breaks Out At Georgia Summer Camp

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=131477&catid=3

Flu Breaks Out At Jewish Summer Camp
* Updated 6/16/2009 9:19:17 PM

Posted By: Duffie Dixon

RAYBUN COUNTY, Ga. -- Just days into the first summer session of the Jewish camp Ramah Darom dozens of kids have come down with the flu. It is unknown if it is the H1N1 virus, better known as swine flu. State test results are due Wednesday.

"Right now, several of the campers have tested positive for type-A influenza and we can tell you it is communicable and it is spreading quickly," said Fred Levick, CEO of Camp Ramah Darom.

The camp is nestled in the Georgia mountains. It is a similar location to Camp Daniel Boone in North Carolina where last week dozens of local boy scouts came down with the flu. In that case, officials confirm that among the 500 or so attendees two kids from south Florida tested positive for H1N1.

The Centers for Disease Control recently classified the H1N1 virus as a pandemic, but also says most people who contract it don't have stonger symptoms than typical influenza.

So far, that's what officials at Camp Ramah Darom say they're experiencing.

"Patients who come down with flu like symptoms are being cared for at our infirmary where we have 2 doctors and 3 nurses on site. The sick campers' symptoms seem to be significantly better within 12 to 24 hours, but we're keeping them isolated for about a week to make sure they don't transmit it to others at Ramah Darom," said Levick.

 

[thebes]

Re: Flu Breaks Out At Georgia Summer Camp

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/20142/

Flu outbreaks reported at 3 Northeast Georgia camps
Tests pending on whether illness is swine flu

By Carolyn Crist
ccrist@gainesvilletimes.com

UPDATED June 16, 2009 11:37 p.m.


Three summer camps in Northeast Georgia sent 18 children to the hospital for influenza-like symptoms, and officials still are testing the strains for swine flu.

Local hospitals tested campers from Camp Ramah Darom in Rabun County, Union for Reform Judaism Camp Coleman in White County and Camp Woodruff?s Boy Scouts camp in Union County. David Palmer, public information officer for District 2 Public Health, did not indicate how many children were from each camp.

Several children tested positive for influenza A.

"The hospitals don?t know which strain of influenza A it is yet. They?re waiting on a testing sample from one child to come back from the Georgia Public Health Lab," said Palmer, who indicated results should be known by the end of the week. The child spent time in a Rabun County hospital because of a high fever.

Forty more students with symptoms at the camps have been isolated from other camp members and people outside of the camp.

"The camps are providing medical care in infirmaries and separated the sick from the well campers in a separate cabin until they recover," he said.

Fred Levick, chief executive officer of Camp Ramah Darom, said students who are separated from others still are able to participate in camp activities.

"The symptoms usually resolve themselves in 48 hours, but we separate them from the rest of the community for seven days to minimize spread," he said. "About 95 percent of our participants are going about their business, and we?ve developed special programs for the separated participants so they can enjoy the camp."

Levick and camp staffers have daily communication with campers? parents to update them and reduce panic.

"We were not unprepared for this, given what?s been going on in schools and concern with influenza in the public eye in recent months," he said. "We?re part of a network of seven overnight camps around the nation, and our national medical committee includes infectious disease experts. We take health concerns with the utmost seriousness, and we?re working collaboratively with the local hospital and health department in this."

Directors from the other camps could not be reached as of Tuesday evening.

Symptoms of influenza include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue and clear up in seven to 10 days.

At a North Carolina camp, 10 Boy Scouts tested positive for swine flu last week, prompting officials to test this week?s campers. Camp Daniel Boone executive Connie Bowes said no new cases were reported this week. Last week?s campers moved out Friday and a new group of about 700 from across the country moved in Sunday into the camp near Asheville.

Bowes said 38 Scouts and staff reported flu-like symptoms last week and sick staffers were quarantined. Nineteen Scouts were sent home.

Camp medical staff will continue to follow the advice of the Haywood County Health Department and screen Scouts once daily and staff twice daily.

 

[HenryN]

Re: Flu Breaks Out At Georgia Summer Camp

Sick youngsters at summer camps tested for swine flu

State health officials are testing sick children from three summer camps in North Georgia to see if they have swine flu.
?We do have some influenza-like illnesses in some campers in about three camps,? said Dave Palmer, a spokesman for the 13-county North Health District in Gainesville.
Nearly 60 youngsters attending Camp Ramah Darom in Rabun County developed flu-like symptoms and were taken to Mountain Lakes Medical center in Clayton, where some were tested and returned to camp for care, Palmer said.
Camp staff separated the ill campers from those who aren?t complaining of flu symptoms, Palmer said.
Another 10 cases were reported at URJ Camp Coleman in White County and two cases were reported at Camp Woodruff in Union County, he said.
Preliminary tests showed some of the children had Influenza Type A, but health officials are not certain if it?s the H1NI influenza A virus, commonly called swine flu, Palmer said.
?Some of the children have had the rapid test and some kids have tested positive for influenza A at this point, but we don?t know what strain,? he said. ?Some samples were sent to the Georgia Public Health Lab sent Monday and we should have results pretty soon.?

http://onlineathens.com/stories/061709/bre_451826075.shtml

 

[HenryN]

Re: Flu Breaks Out At Georgia Summer Camp

It's June. It's Georgia (where Boy Scouts were H1N1 positive). It's influenza A positive. It's swine flu.

 

[HenryN]

Re: Flu Breaks Out At Georgia Summer Camp

Campers in Rabun County, Ga., treated for flu

Nicole Smith Independent Mail
Originally published 05:31 p.m., June 17, 2009
Updated 05:31 p.m., June 17, 2009

One person has been sent to a hospital and 57 others are being treated for flu at Camp Ramah Darom in Rabun County, Ga.
Eighteen of the 58 are probable cases of the new flu strain and 40 are possible cases, said David Palmer, the public information officer for District Two at the Georgia Health Department.
Palmer said it has not been confirmed whether any of the cases are the H1N1 virus, better known as the swine flu. The department is waiting on results from tests to determine what type of flu it is, which should be completed later this week.
“Some of the children did test positive with rapid tests that tell the difference between influenza A and B,” Palmer said. “It was A, so we’re waiting to see what type of flu strain that is.”
The 18 probable cases were the campers who tested positive for Influenza A with the rapid test.
The other 40 were not given the rapid test.
Palmer said the department is hesitant to call the outbreak a result of the H1N1 virus without testing to confirm it.
Outbreaks have also been reported at three other camps in North Georgia, but Palmer said those cases are not swine flu.
“We do have confirmed cases of H1N1 in the state, but they’re not associated with these camps,” he said.
He said there are some viruses that mimic the flu.
“What we try to do is go by the symptoms that people are exhibiting,” he said. “When they have the fever, cough, runny nose, discomfort, aches and pains and that type of thing, that’s kind of the influenza symptoms so we prefer to call it an influenza-like illness until we can confirm what it is.”
The hospitalized camper, who is being treated at the Mountain Lakes Medical Center with Tamiflu, was reported in stable condition and expected to recover. Representatives at the Mountain Lakes Medical Center are referring all questions on the flu outbreak to the Georgia Health Department.
The 57 others are being treated at the camp with Tamiflu also and are all recovering, Palmer said.
He said they have mild to moderate symptoms and should recover in seven to 10 days.
Camp Daniel Boone in North Carolina near Asheville has also reported a flu outbreak. Ten Boy Scouts tested positive for the disease last week. Thirty-eight other Scouts and staff members were quarantined, and 19 were sent home.
The camp’s executive, Connie Bowes, said there haven’t been any new cases reported this week. The camp was disinfected over the weekend.
The camp has begun screening Scouts daily, including a temperature check, to make sure they are not developing any flu-like symptoms.
Camp Old Indian in Traveler’s Rest, S.C., is also taking precautions now that more than 2,600 Boy Scouts have either arrived or are close to arriving. The Scouts are given medical exams before they arrive and are checked after they reach camp, said Mike Bernhard, executive for the Blue Ride Council Boy Scouts of America.
“If they have any things that we need to know about they tell us during that process,” Bernhard said. “We take their temperature, and if they have other symptoms, we tell them it would be best to have the parents come and take him home so he can be with his family.”
The other symptoms include a runny nose and cough.
Bernhard said the camp talked with local health officials to assure that they are taking the right precautions, and the department also offered to do any tests if it needed to.
“Hopefully we don’t have any of that, but it’s the Scouts’ motto to be prepared for anything, and that’s what we’re doing,” he said. “We just want to have the most healthy and safe camp we can … But everything is fine, we’re in good shape and having a great summer.”
Because the flu is contagious, David Palmer and the health department had several tips for people to be more careful. He said people should cover their noses when they cough or sneeze with a tissue they can throw away. If a tissue isn’t available, people should cough or sneeze into their sleeves.
“People should wash their wash their hands often and make sure if they touch common surfaces that other people use, like doorknobs, phones, table tops, that they wash their hands and try not to touch their eyes, nose or mouth,” Palmer said.

http://www.independentmail.com/news/2009/jun/17/campers-rabun-county-ga-treated-flu/

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Flu Breaks Out At Georgia Summer Camp

Source: http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/06/19/camp_canceled_flu_cleveland.html


Flu cancels summer camp?s first session in Cleveland, Ga.
By Alexis Stevens
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, June 19, 2009

At least 45 of 160 staff members of a North Georgia summer camp have either the flu or flu-like symptoms, forcing camp leaders to cancel the first four-week session.

The arrival of 400 campers had been delayed at Camp Coleman in Cleveland, after a handful of staff initially fell ill.

But as the number of those afflicted grew, the Union for Reform Judaism camp was forced to take the drastic measure, according to Rabbi Elliott Kleinman, senior vice president of the URJ.

?With so many staff ill with the flu, we felt like we couldn?t provide the kind of safe environment kids need at camp,? Kleinman said Friday afternoon. ?We take the health and safety of the children entrusted in our care very seriously.?

All staff affected are responding well to care from the camp medical staff and are expected to fully recover, according to camp leaders. Anyone ill is being isolated for seven days to limit the spread of the flu, Kleinman said.

The camp has worked with the department of health to help contain the flu, according to Dave Palmer, a spokesman for District 2 Public Health in Gainesville.

Earlier this week, six counselors sought medical care for influenza-like symptoms, although none was hospitalized, Palmer said. The rapid tests were positive for Influenza A.

The second session of camp begins July 12, and 400 campers are expected to participate.

?We?re already looking forward to it,? Kleinman said.

 

[thebes]

Re: Flu Breaks Out At Georgia Summer Camp

H1N1 flu is confirmed at Rabun camp
By Blake Spurney

For The Franklin Press

Eighteen cases of influenza among campers at Ramah Darom have been confirmed in Rabun County.

Mountain Lakes Medical Center Administrator Kim Ingram said samples from three of the youth had been sent to the state for further testing. On Wednesday it was confirmed that they have H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu.

Thirty more cases are suspected, and a group of campers is being quarantined. Those who tested positive are younger than 15.

"They have medical capabilities there on the campus," said David Palmer, with the Georgia Department of Public Health District 2. "They have an infirmary there, so they're isolating the children who have the symptoms from the ones who do not have symptoms. So they're keeping them separated."

The camp also is isolating campers from the community as a precaution. Ramah Darom is following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for summer camps, Palmer said.

Ingram said one patient was hospitalized and was expected to be released tomorrow. The others were treated and released. The hospital has been in contact with the state and Rabun County Health Department since the positive results were confirmed Monday evening.

"The state was very complimentary on how the situation was managed and everything we had done," she said.

Ingram cautioned against people overreacting to the outbreak since H1N1 is a version of the flu.

She also said people couldn't contract it by merely being in the same room with someone who has it. The best protection is washing one's hands throughly with warm water and soap.



The hospital has an adequate supply of Tamiflu, and she said the hospital would be providing it to anyone who shows symptoms of the flu free of charge.

The hospital is following protocol set by the state after H1N1 first surfaced. It officially was declared a pandemic last week.

Camp director Fred Levick said the attention given the flu this spring helped prepare the camp for just such an event.

"We came prepared and unfortunately we have the flu, but we're prepared to deal with it, and I think we're doing a very good job of managing it and protecting people," he said.

http://www.thefranklinpress.com/articles/2009/06/25/news/21news.txt