A mystery stomach illness has struck children and counselors at three summer camps in upstate New York and Pennsylvania, the American Camp Association has confirmed.
Tyler Hill and Trail’s End camps in Pennsylvania and Timber Lake camp in New York are all affected. Each charges around $19,000 per child for the summer. Dozens of campers and staff are believed to be sick, and at one site as many as half of those present are reported to be unwell.
Alicia Skovera, spokeswoman for the American Camp Association in New York, said the organization had been in contact with the affected camps since the illness was identified and that disinfection protocols were being followed. She said camps that maintain strong isolation, hygiene and cleaning practices typically contain outbreaks quickly.
The cause of the outbreak has not been confirmed. Some parents have blamed norovirus online, a stomach bug spread by unwashed hands that causes vomiting and diarrhea. A spokesman for the New York State Department of Health told the Daily Mail it was not uncommon to see norovirus outbreaks at this time of year, and that any outbreak is taken seriously.
According to a parent who spoke to the New York Post, cases began at Tyler Hill camp in mid-July. The camp quarantined sick children, but it was claimed that this did not happen until after children from two other camps had visited for sports matches.
Timber Lake has reported 15 illnesses among children and staff, mostly affecting younger children. Trail’s End has also reported cases, with those affected said to have been quarantined. It was not clear whether the outbreaks at the three camps were linked or caused by the same illness.
One parent told the New York Post that a camp had run out of beds in its health center and toilets for sick children to use. Some parents are reported to have driven to the camps to collect their children.
Children quarantined at summer camps are asked to use separate restrooms and eating facilities until at least 48 hours after their symptoms resolve. The Daily Mail contacted each camp for comment but did not receive a response.
Norovirus normally peaks in winter but can also spread in summer when people remain in close proximity, such as at camps. The disease usually clears within 24 to 48 hours, though vomiting and diarrhea can in rare cases lead to dehydration requiring hospitalization. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face a higher risk from the illness.
