Some camps report swine flu cases

Camp directors are battling more than unruly youngsters this summer. They have been contending with outbreaks of what they think is the swine flu.

Some area camps, as well as ones outside the region that host large numbers of youngsters from the area, report sending home dozens of campers who have exhibited flulike symptoms.

Pennsylvania health officials say they know of 10 to 20 camps in the state that have had a high-enough incidence of the flu to warrant control measures such as isolating campers or sending them home.

"I'd say we've had a fair number of camps that have clusters of illness," said Stephen Ostroff, acting state physician general and director of the state Bureau of Epidemiology.

In South Jersey, fewer than five cases have been reported to health agencies. Reported cases might be low because officials test for the flu only when patients are hospitalized or clusters of illness occur.

No camps in Pennsylvania or South Jersey have closed, officials said.

Ostroff declined to say how many campers in Pennsylvania have been hospitalized with the flu. No campers have died in Pennsylvania or South Jersey, officials said.

Ostroff could not specify the number of influenza cases associated with state camps because Pennsylvania does not track camp-specific statistics and cases might not be reported at the state level, he said.

In many instances, campers aren't tested for the Novel H1N1 virus, but physicians assume they have what is known as the swine flu because seasonal influenza does not occur in the summer, said Stacy Kriedeman, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Health officials in Montgomery and Bucks Counties say they have received reports of swine flu cases among campers but declined to elaborate. No cases have been reported in Philadelphia or Chester Counties.

In South Jersey, one case was reported at a camp at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and another at a private camp in Burlington County. No cases have been reported in Camden and Gloucester Counties.

"We've heard anecdotally and in general that [this region] has not been hit as hard as other parts of the country, like the Southeast U.S.," said Ellen Warren, spokeswoman for the Keystone Regional chapter of the American Camp Association, which includes Pennsylvania and Delaware.

There are 136 American Camp Association-accredited camps in Pennsylvania and 91 in New Jersey.

Concerns about the swine flu have prompted at least 50 summer camps across the nation to cancel sessions or send campers home early. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines for camp operators that include screening campers and staff for illness before the start of camp, isolating sick campers, encouraging frequent handwashing, and training staff to recognize flu symptoms.

Camp Saginaw in Oxford, Chester County, sent some youngsters home after they exhibited flulike symptoms, but director Mike Petkov said the symptoms were not severe.

"We have had illnesses before, and this is mild in comparison," Petkov said. Saginaw hosts campers from across the nation.

Earlier, six suspected cases were reported during the Variety Club Camp in Worcester, Montgomery County. The camp ended in June.

About 55 campers at Camp Harlam in Kunkletown, Monroe County, have been sent home to recover.

At Camp Ramah in Wayne County, 61 of the camp's 391 youngsters were sent home after exhibiting flulike symptoms, said Rabbi Todd Zeff, who runs the camp.

The sick youngsters have recovered and returned to the camp, which is attended by mostly Philadelphia-area youngsters. No new cases have been reported in the last eight days, Zeff said.