Today, most sleep-away summer camps operate for approximately seven weeks. Long before the first bus rolls through the front gate, owners and directors have spent the entire year recruiting campers and staff, hiring medical personnel, planning activities, improving athletic fields and facilities, renovating bunks, and making certain that every child enjoys a safe and memorable summer. Most camps have physicians, nurses, and trained medical staff on site 24 hours a day.

A camp director's worst nightmare is not a rainy summer or losing a championship game. It is the sudden appearance of a contagious illness affecting multiple campers and staff at the same time.

That nightmare recently became a reality at several Wayne County, PA and Green County, NY summer camps, where dozens of campers and staff developed symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. Health officials quickly began investigating while camp medical personnel isolated sick campers, increased sanitation measures, and communicated with parents. 

Reports indicate that one camper tested positive for Escherichia coli (E. coli), although investigators have not concluded that E. coli was responsible for the broader outbreak. At this writing, no common source has been identified, and the investigation continues.

When illness strikes a camp, every minute counts.

The first responsibility is caring for the affected campers. Physicians and nurses evaluate each child, determine who can safely remain in camp, who requires observation, and who should be transported for additional medical care. Hydration becomes a priority, especially when vomiting or diarrhea are involved.

Equally important is communication. Parents deserve prompt, honest updates, whether or not their own child is ill. No parent wants to learn about a camp outbreak from social media or the evening news. They want information directly from the people entrusted with their child's care.

Camp administrators must also work closely with local and state health departments. Stool specimens may be collected, food service operations reviewed, water systems tested, and sanitation procedures evaluated. In many situations, the source is never definitively identified, particularly when viruses such as norovirus spread rapidly through close personal contact.

For camp directors, these events are emotionally exhausting. Every child at camp is, in many ways, temporarily their responsibility. Directors know many of the campers by name, have watched them grow up over successive summers, and feel personally responsible for their well-being. Decisions about sending campers home are never made lightly, but they are made with safety as the highest priority.

What we know… and what we don't know

Although one camper reportedly tested positive for Escherichia coli (E. coli), investigators have not concluded that this bacterium was responsible for the larger outbreak affecting several camps. The strain has not been publicly identified, and there is currently no evidence linking the illness to contaminated food, drinking water, or the camps' water supplies.

Medical reports indicate that the E. coli infection may have been transmitted from person to person. In a camp environment, where children live together, share facilities, participate in sports, and visit other camps for athletic competitions, such transmission is certainly possible. One infected individual could unknowingly introduce an organism into a new group of campers.

From a microbiological standpoint, however, the larger outbreak appears more consistent with a contagious viral gastroenteritis than with a classic foodborne E. coli outbreak. The rapid spread among campers, the prominence of vomiting, and the occurrence at several camps within a short period are characteristics commonly associated with viruses such as norovirus. While no source has yet been identified, norovirus is well known for spreading quickly through close personal contact and contaminated hands or surfaces in settings where people live in close quarters.

Until laboratory studies and the public health investigation are completed, the exact cause may remain uncertain. For now, the emphasis appropriately remains on patient care, infection control, and preventing additional cases rather than assigning blame or drawing premature conclusions.

Fortunately, today's camps are far better prepared than those of decades past. Medical staffing, emergency planning, infection-control protocols and close partnerships with public health agencies help camps respond quickly and effectively when illness occurs.

As investigators continue searching for the cause of this outbreak, one thing remains clear: protecting the health of campers must always come first. Parents place enormous trust in summer camps each year, and maintaining that trust requires transparency, sound medical judgment, and a commitment to putting children's safety above everything else.

With proper medical care, cooperation from families and guidance from public health officials, most outbreaks are brought under control, allowing campers to return to what summer camp is really all about: friendships, laughter, new adventures, and memories that last a lifetime.

Michael Kossove is  Professor Emeritus and now Adjunct Professor of Medical Microbiology, Touro University, School of Health Sciences.  He is a former summer camp owner and director.