Swine flu cases confirmed at summer camps
Pastor Dale Morgan
Swine flu cases confirmed at summer camps*
By Nanci Bompey • June 18, 2009 12:15 AM
Laboratory tests confirmed six more cases of swine flu at area summer
camps on Wednesday.
Three staff members at an unidentified overnight camp in Henderson
County and three staff members at Camp Daniel Boone Boy Scout camp in
Haywood County are the latest to test positive for the H1N1 flu virus,
according to local health officials. Henderson County officials declined
to identify the camp.
The flu had previously been confirmed in three campers who attended the
Boy Scout camp in Canton last week. Health officials said 47 people at
the camp, including the three who most recently tested positive for the
H1N1 virus and one who tested negative for the virus, exhibited flulike
symptoms last week.
Both groups of staff members are in isolation and will remain there for
seven days from the time they first showed symptoms of the illness or
until they no longer have symptoms for a period of 24 hours.
Linda Weldon, communicable disease nurse specialist at the Henderson
County Health Department, said that along with the staff members who
tested positive for the virus, a small number of campers and staff who
are also exhibiting flulike symptoms have been isolated at the camp in
Henderson County.
“The nurses at the camp are taking all of the appropriate steps to
prevent the spread of infection,” she said.
Both camps are also taking additional measures to ensure the virus does
not spread, including taking temperatures of all campers and staff daily.
Weldon said now that the health department has confirmed there are cases
of the H1N1 flu at the camp, it will most likely no longer test other
campers and staff who show signs of the virus, although they will be
isolated and treated.
“I am optimistic that we can contain this illness and the camp will have
a good summer,” she said.
Haywood County Health Director Carmine Rocco said other than the latest
confirmed cases, no other campers or staff at Camp Daniel Boone have
shown signs of the virus this week.
“I can say I am cautiously optimistic,” he said. “The initial outbreak
has slowed and we are just monitoring the situation with the help of the
camp staff at this point in time.”