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Source: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/297851
MDA: Flu ends remaining summer camps
By Jamar Younger
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.20.2009
The Muscular Dystrophy Association announced Friday that it will cancel all of its remaining summer camps after the organization learned of 11 confirmed cases of swine flu among participants around the country, officials said.
The MDA's remaining 47 camps will be canceled after organization officials learned of 10 confirmed cases in Minnesota and one in Utah, said Bob Mackle spokesman for the Tucson-based MDA.
There were no reported cases from the Arizona camp, which ended on June 6, he said.
There also have been six suspected cases of the virus, also known as the H1N1 virus, reported at a MDA summer camp in Pennsylvania, Mackle said.
One of those children has been hospitalized and is in stable condition, he said. The Pennsylvania camp, located outside of Philadelphia, ends today.
The 11 confirmed cases were reported after the children left the weeklong camps, he said.
A child who attended the Utah camp was hospitalized, treated and released, he said.
The MDA headquarters are in Tucson.
The organization conferred with officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, who concurred with the decision, he said.
According to MDA press release, children who suffer from muscular dystrophy are more vulnerable to the swine flu because of their weakened respiratory muscles.
All of the children, as well as camp counselors, medical staff members, paramedics and other volunteers, were screened for possible exposure to the virus, the press release stated.
Some volunteers were not allowed to participate in the camps after the screenings, the press release stated.
The MDA's medical director, Dr. Valerie Cwik, was quoted in the press release saying a person might be infected with the virus and be contagious before symptoms appear.
About 1,800 children already had participated in the camps, which began last month, Mackle said.
Another 2,500 children were scheduled to attend the camps, which would have lasted until the end of August, he said.
Contact reporter Jamar Younger at 573-4115 or jyounger@azstarnet.com.
MDA: Flu ends remaining summer camps
By Jamar Younger
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.20.2009
The Muscular Dystrophy Association announced Friday that it will cancel all of its remaining summer camps after the organization learned of 11 confirmed cases of swine flu among participants around the country, officials said.
The MDA's remaining 47 camps will be canceled after organization officials learned of 10 confirmed cases in Minnesota and one in Utah, said Bob Mackle spokesman for the Tucson-based MDA.
There were no reported cases from the Arizona camp, which ended on June 6, he said.
There also have been six suspected cases of the virus, also known as the H1N1 virus, reported at a MDA summer camp in Pennsylvania, Mackle said.
One of those children has been hospitalized and is in stable condition, he said. The Pennsylvania camp, located outside of Philadelphia, ends today.
The 11 confirmed cases were reported after the children left the weeklong camps, he said.
A child who attended the Utah camp was hospitalized, treated and released, he said.
The MDA headquarters are in Tucson.
The organization conferred with officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, who concurred with the decision, he said.
According to MDA press release, children who suffer from muscular dystrophy are more vulnerable to the swine flu because of their weakened respiratory muscles.
All of the children, as well as camp counselors, medical staff members, paramedics and other volunteers, were screened for possible exposure to the virus, the press release stated.
Some volunteers were not allowed to participate in the camps after the screenings, the press release stated.
The MDA's medical director, Dr. Valerie Cwik, was quoted in the press release saying a person might be infected with the virus and be contagious before symptoms appear.
About 1,800 children already had participated in the camps, which began last month, Mackle said.
Another 2,500 children were scheduled to attend the camps, which would have lasted until the end of August, he said.
Contact reporter Jamar Younger at 573-4115 or jyounger@azstarnet.com.