http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/1267494.html
By EMILY VAN ZANDT
The Kansas City Star
Two cases of swine flu have been confirmed and about 50 people were quarantined at a Lake of the Ozarks summer camp forced to shut down for a week.
Campers and staff members at Camp Sabra, a residential summer camp run by the St. Louis Jewish Community Centers Association, began getting sick last week with mild, flulike symptoms. The symptoms typically lasted 24 to 36 hours, said Margaret Schatz, director of marketing and communications for the camp.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed Monday that two of three specimens sent to the state lab for testing came back positive for the swine flu, or H1N1 virus, said department spokesman Kit Wagar.
?It?s safe to assume some of the other kids probably have it,? Wagar said. ?The WHO (World Health Organization) has declared this a worldwide pandemic. Everybody should know the virus is out there.?
Wagar said the outbreak is the largest flu outbreak in the state since the department began tracking cases of H1N1 in April. As of Friday, Missouri had 53 confirmed cases of H1N1.
About 230 campers and staff members were at the camp. Campers include boys and girls entering grades three through 10. Many campers are from the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, as well as Tennessee, Texas and other states.
State and county health officials were notified of the possible outbreak over the weekend. The camp is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for dealing with a possible flu outbreak, Wagar said.
The CDC recommends identifying ill campers and staff and keeping them isolated to prevent the spread of the virus. A physician and two registered nurses are at the camp full time, according to the camp Web site.
No one was hospitalized, and the camp began screening all campers for possible illness, Wagar said.
Schatz said the camp, after speaking with officials from the state health department, the CDC and the American Camp Association, ?made the difficult decision to close our doors for seven days.?
Schatz said the camp was working with families to get all children home.
To reach Emily Van Zandt, call 816-234-4412 or send e-mail to evanzandt@kcstar.com.
By EMILY VAN ZANDT
The Kansas City Star
Two cases of swine flu have been confirmed and about 50 people were quarantined at a Lake of the Ozarks summer camp forced to shut down for a week.
Campers and staff members at Camp Sabra, a residential summer camp run by the St. Louis Jewish Community Centers Association, began getting sick last week with mild, flulike symptoms. The symptoms typically lasted 24 to 36 hours, said Margaret Schatz, director of marketing and communications for the camp.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed Monday that two of three specimens sent to the state lab for testing came back positive for the swine flu, or H1N1 virus, said department spokesman Kit Wagar.
?It?s safe to assume some of the other kids probably have it,? Wagar said. ?The WHO (World Health Organization) has declared this a worldwide pandemic. Everybody should know the virus is out there.?
Wagar said the outbreak is the largest flu outbreak in the state since the department began tracking cases of H1N1 in April. As of Friday, Missouri had 53 confirmed cases of H1N1.
About 230 campers and staff members were at the camp. Campers include boys and girls entering grades three through 10. Many campers are from the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, as well as Tennessee, Texas and other states.
State and county health officials were notified of the possible outbreak over the weekend. The camp is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for dealing with a possible flu outbreak, Wagar said.
The CDC recommends identifying ill campers and staff and keeping them isolated to prevent the spread of the virus. A physician and two registered nurses are at the camp full time, according to the camp Web site.
No one was hospitalized, and the camp began screening all campers for possible illness, Wagar said.
Schatz said the camp, after speaking with officials from the state health department, the CDC and the American Camp Association, ?made the difficult decision to close our doors for seven days.?
Schatz said the camp was working with families to get all children home.
To reach Emily Van Zandt, call 816-234-4412 or send e-mail to evanzandt@kcstar.com.
Probably just the seasonal summer flu...wait we don't have that here and humidity is above 90%.
