Protect staff and campers from mosquito bites during outdoor activity:

• Encourage body cover (long pants, shirts, socks, hats) as appropriate for the weather and activity. Shirts should be tucked in at the waist; socks should be pulled over pant legs.
• Apply an insect repellent containing 10 percent to 30 percent DEET(recommended for children) to 50 percent DEET (for adults). Reapply per package directions throughout the duration of the activity. Recommend spraying the repellent on clothing rather than skin when feasible. It does not need to be applied under clothing. Avoid eye and mouth areas, as well as cuts, wounds, and irritated skin. Avoid using sprays in enclosed areas. Do not use DEET near food. Consider creating related policies to ensure safe and consistent use of repellents, such as supervision or application of repellents by counseling staff. Wash repellent off skin when returning indoors, especially if repeated applications are used.
• Educate staff — especially those who live with campers or who accompany groups of campers from activity to activity — to notice children who are getting bitten by mosquitoes. Assess those campers for appropriate use of their repellent. Be prepared to try a different repellent if the camper’s formulation is ineffective at repelling mosquitoes.
• Avoid mosquito-borne habitats (wooded areas and marshes) during the dusk and dawn periods — a mosquito’s peak biting time. Avoid campouts near marshes and other wet areas.
• Monitor activity areas — are campers or staff commenting that mosquitoes are typically bad in certain areas? Mow paths of hiking trails to allow for wider trails.

Minimize the mosquito population and their access to human habitat:

• Alert maintenance staff to eliminate areas of standing water (gutters, old barrels, boats, buckets) and keep window screens in good repair.
• Reduce exposure to mosquitoes’ long grass habitat by mowing paths of hiking trails; consider widening trails to further limit exposure.
• Be aware of measures being taken or recommended by local municipalities to decrease the mosquito population, such as pesticide spraying.
• Review and adapt the camp schedule as necessary to avoid use of outdoor activity areas when mosquitoes are heaviest.

Partner with parents:

• Include a few sentences in precamp mailings regarding the measures your camp is taking to minimize risks from West Nile Virus.
• Make sure your packing list recommends an insect repellent containing adequate amounts of DEET.
• Have staff model appropriate repellent use and dress on opening day.

While West Nile Virus may cause serious illness in children and adults, the actual likelihood of infection is low. A combination of education and prevention strategies can have a significant impact on the perceived and actual risk of the virus to campers and staff.

Excerpt from “West Nile Virus: A Clinical Commentary for the Camp Health Care Community,” Camping Magazine, March/April 2003, by Ellen Reynolds, MSN, CPNP and Holly Bauer, RN.

Originally published in the 2003 Winter issue of The CampLine.