Swine flu scare at Osmington children's camp (From Dorset Echo)

Swine flu scare at Osmington children's camp

9:22am Friday 3rd July 2009 in

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A YOUNGSTER who stayed at a local children’s activity centre has contracted swine flu.

The child was diagnosed with the rapidly-spreading flu bug after holidaying at the PGL centre in Osmington.

The unidentified youngster was with a school party staying at the Osmington Bay complex. Another child from the same group also started showing symptoms of the flu bug after returning home.

The company and the Health Protection Agency have confirmed one positive case and one suspected case associated with visiting youngsters.

PGL Travel Ltd marketing manager Sarah Reynolds said the company has been liaising with health protection officers since the case was confirmed.

She said: “The situation is that we had a school party staying at the site last week.

“None of the school’s staff or pupils showed any signs of flu or illness at all while staying here.

“It wasn’t until yesterday, however, that the headteacher of the school notified us that a child started showing signs of swine flu after returning home.”

She added: “We’re following all Health Protection Agency advice, which is currently to keep the centre open and to continue operating as usual.

“We’ve been advising all our members of staff and guests that if they begin showing symptoms of swine flu that they will be isolated and further medical help will be sought.”

She confirmed the Osmington site was at its 700-guest capacity when the school party was staying there and that the centre is still full.

She also confirmed there are around 100 members of staff employed at the site and that a second child from the visiting school has also started showing symptoms of swine flu.

She would not identify the school, however, saying only that it was outside of the South West region.

A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency’s South West office, Lawrence Knight, confirmed that the agency advised PGL Osmington Bay to continue operating as normal.

He said: “I can confirm there was a case of swine flu associated with the activities centre.

“The situation at the centre has not changed and we’ve advised them to continue operating as normal.

“The individual concerned in the case has since made a full recovery.”

Two holidaymakers from the Midlands were the first to catch swine flu in Weymouth after coming here on holiday.

Marie Buchan and her seven-year-old daughter Tia were staying at the Weymouth Bay Holiday Park in Preston last month when they were struck down with the virus.

Marie, 27, and from the Selly Oak area, suspected she and her daughter picked up the virus in Birmingham shortly before coming to Dorset on holiday.

She was full of praise for the way the Health Protection Agency and other authorities leaped into action to ensure she and other holidaymakers at the site stayed safe.

Both Marie and her daughter were fine after receiving treatment from a doctor back in the Midlands.