| Health
Matters
Bats, bugs and bacteria...oh my!
Bug season in the Upper Peninsula really is a very short season. It usually begins in May with ticks, early June with the black flies, and mosquitoes in July. Throw in a couple of bats and some bacteria during the same season, and some people wonder why we’d venture out into our great outdoors.
The good news is by late August, these summer visitors are scarce, a relief to people with entomophobia—a fear of insects. The better news is that with simple precautions, any illness as a result of bugs, bacteria and bats can be minimized greatly.
The mosquito population seems down in the past several years. They like and need standing water to breed, and with the dry conditions the past couple of years, they didn’t seem as prevalent. For most, mosquitoes are more of a nuisance. We hate getting bitten and then having to scratch the irritation, or their incessant buzzing while trying to sleep on a camping trip.
Mosquitoes cause more human suffering than any other organism—more than one million people die worldwide from mosquito-borne diseases every year.
Not only can mosquitoes carry diseases that afflict humans, but they transmit several diseases and parasites that affect dogs and horses seriously. These include dog heartworm, West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).
Fortunately for us, malaria, dengue and yellow fever are not diseases we have to worry about in the Upper Peninsula. With global warming, these diseases are moving farther north, but it’ll be decades at least until we get to experience these killer diseases—if ever.
West Nile Virus was one of those diseases of the month that created quite a stir in 2002 and 2003, when nearly 10,000 people got the illness with more than 100 deaths in the United States. Since that time the illness has decreased greatly in numbers. It’s thought many people now have natural immunity to this virus. In Michigan last year there was only one case reported.
If you want fewer mosquitoes in your yard, get rid of any standing, stagnate water that’s common in old tires, cans/bottles or other containers sitting around your yard. Still, mosquitos will be with us no matter how we try to eliminate them. Clute (Texas) has the “Great Texas Mosquito Festival,” which celebrates the following fact: “The progeny produced by one female, based upon egg-laying of 450 eggs per an average of three batches per lifetime will reach 49,843,353,164 by the fourth generation (eight to sixteen weeks) based upon a seventy-percent survival. That’s 49 billion. They do seem to do things bigger in Texas, and they can have title to that festival.
Ticks, on the other hand, seem to be growing in numbers. They always have been around, but they are moving northward in greater numbers. Let’s blame Wisconsin. My dog and I usually get a couple on us after our hikes in the woods. The ticks seemed to have “jumped” north of US-41 last year.
The ticks in the Upper Peninsula are harmless, largely, with one exception. Lyme Disease is increasing its range and is carried by the black-legged tick, commonly known around here as the “deer tick.” This tick can be quite small to see or feel in the spring of the year when they are in the “nymph” stage.
In Michigan, the first official reported human case of Lyme disease was in 1985. For most of the last decade, Lyme disease was occurring pretty much only in southern Menominee County. Cases now have been reported in both the Upper and Lower Peninsula. Besides Menominee County, Ontonagon County has had positive tests for the Lyme virus. Marquette County and several other western and central U.P. counties are listed on a “watch” list with positive Lyme tests on dogs.
It is anticipated the number of cases reported will continue to increase. Lyme disease in humans usually is not life-threatening, and one should regard the health risks it does pose with concern rather than alarm. It is most often a mild illness mimicking summer flu, but serious problems involving the heart, joints and nervous system may develop in some individuals.
Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose because the disease mimics many other diseases. A diagnosis should be based on a history of tick bite, the presence of a circular rash, an examination by a physician for other symptoms and laboratory tests. The most reliable indication of Lyme disease is a large circular rash (erythema migrans). If you develop any of the symptoms or recall being bitten by a tick, discuss your suspicions with your physician.
Prompt diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics can cure the infection and prevent later complications in both humans and domestic animals. Treatment during later stages of the disease often requires more intensive antibiotic therapy.
While there is no sure way to eliminate the chance of contracting Lyme disease completely, there are several specific preventative measures one can take:
• Wear long pants tucked into boots or socks and long-sleeved shirts buttoned at the cuff.
• Use tick repellents containing 0.5% permethrin or mosquito repellents containing 30% DEET.
• Examine clothing, skin and pets for ticks and remove them promptly. Studies have shown that a tick infected with Borrelia burgdorferi must be attached to its host for at least forty-eight hours for the bacteria to be transmitted. Pull off carefully so no parts are left in the wound.
Rabies also is rare in the U.P. So far in 2010, six rabid animals have been detected in Michigan, including a horse in Lapeer County and a dog in Oakland County. The other cases include bats from Kent, Clinton and Tuscola counties, and a skunk from St. Clair County.
Rabies is contracted through a bite or scratch from an infected animal. It also can be transmitted if saliva from an infected animal gets into a wound or a person’s eyes, nose or mouth. In Michigan, rabies has been reported most often in bats.
There is no effective treatment for rabies once a person or animal shows signs of the disease, so reducing your exposure is crucial. Deaths to humans are very rare, with one case just last year in the northern Lower Peninsula from a bat. Geographically, bat rabies generally is wide spread across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, although cases do occur in the Upper Peninsula, with the last case in Marquette County reported in 2004.
So far this article has focused on some nasty bugs with relatively rare occurrences of severe disease. A more common threat that doesn’t get much attention actually is quite common in the U.P. Hundreds of U.P. residents get sick from consuming contaminated food and beverages.
For the most part the “symptoms” are not lethal, but they sure can ruin a day or two. While restaurants get blamed a lot, most people get sick from poor food safety practices at home. We just don’t want to blame grandma for the salmonella in her favorite chicken-salad sandwiches.
Here are some precautions you should take to protect yourself and your family from food-borne illness:
• When carrying food to another location, keep it cold to minimize bacterial growth. Cold food should be held at or below 40°F. Pack food right from the refrigerator into the cooler immediately before leaving home.
• When using a cooler, keep it out of the direct sun by placing it in the shade or shelter. Avoid opening the lid too often, which lets cold air out and warm air in.
• Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters. To prevent food borne illness, don’t use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and poultry and their juices can contaminate safely cooked food.
Fred Benzie, health officer for Marquette County, said it best: “Be aware of potential infection from various sources during the summer months, but do not let it keep you from enjoying the many activities that the county has to offer for fun and recreation,” he said. “You can protect yourself and your family by taking special precautions.”
—George Sedlacek
Editor’s Note: For details, visit www.mqthealth.org
Getting ready for summer camp
Getting the family camp ready for the summer season commonly means various chores such as general household and yard cleanup, putting the docks and boats in the water and sweeping critters from their winter nests.
Getting the family ready to go to camp brings a rush of packing swimsuits, groceries, sunscreen and bug juice.
Getting a youth camp ready for kids—now that is another story.
The Michigan Department of Human Services, Bureau of Children and Adult Licensing regulates nineteen camps and twenty-four camp programs annually throughout the Upper Peninsula. According to Steve Seager, Camp Licensing Consultant, camp licenses are issued for both day camps and resident camps based on nearly fifty criteria. The overall goals are providing for the health and safety of the campers.
Day camps are defined as programming lasting longer than four hours and not longer than twelve with no overnight stays. Resident camps can be up to five days with at least one overnight. The level of licensing criteria varies with each type.
The following begins to tell the story of what goes into preparing a youth camp for licensing in the State of Michigan in accordance with the Statutory Authority referred to as 1973 PA 116:
General Provisions
Administrative rules exist for the establishment of policy and procedures that become a “camp manual.” Standards for the manual are adopted from organizations such as the American Red Cross, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Outdoor Leadership School.
Two licenses may be issued according to the planned camp activity. One license for the campsite itself and a second for the provision of actual camp programming. An example is the Page Center on Little Lake obtains a site license and the Superior String Alliance conducting music programming at the Page Center obtains a programming license.
Staffing standards include written job descriptions, personnel records for each member, background checks for any criminal convictions, precamp training in areas of camp philosophy, operating procedures, camper behavior management and supervision. Ratio of campers to staff members also is regulated.
Camper rosters include records for each camper’s name, age, address, contact person in case of emergency, special needs, limitations or adaptations and written permission of the person authorized for release of the camper at departure.
Health service policies and procedures cover both individual campers and the systems and services at the camp. A health record is kept on file for each camper. Camps have health care staff on site meeting specific credentials, and agreements for service with area emergency medical services and hospitals must be in place. The camp nurse’s cabin is stocked with first aid supplies and homesickness comfort zones. Standing orders for first aid treatment are approved by the camp physician; heat stroke, poison ivy, sunburn are all covered.
Fire Safety
Each camp is inspected by a certified fire inspector annually or biannually, dependent upon the results of the inspection. Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are inspected each year, with required placement areas throughout the camp. Multiple rules apply to the buildings to be used by the campers.
These include safe construction, sanitary maintenance, space allocations per number of persons occupying the rooms, proper exit identification and proper storage of flammable, combustible or hazardous materials. Each camp is required to have written emergency procedures for exiting camps and practice general fire safety prevention.
Environmental Health & Safety
Prevention is the word when it comes to transmission of illness through food or water. Officials of the local county health department perform annual inspections that encompass a broad scope of camper safety areas, with a focus on disease prevention. Drinking and bathing water, including swimming areas, are tested to be free of chemical or bacterial contaminants. Lighting, ventilation, screening, toilet fixtures, sewage, garbage and other solid waste are all on the environmental health and safety checklist.
The food service function of the camp is essential to any healthy and fun camp experience. The kitchen environment, how food is prepared, stored, heated and cooled are aspects all under the scrutiny of the inspector’s magnifying glass. Regulations also apply to the menu, meal patterns, type of food service and special diets.
Records from all inspection sources are combined in the camp record before final licensing approval determination is made. All youth camps must receive a passing grade before the summer fun can begin.
You can’t offer a camp and not expect some “High Adventure Activities” (HA). And that is exactly what the licensing regulations consider target sports, trail sports, adventure challenge courses, swimming, boating, climbing and more.
A duffel bag full of special provisions for prevention and safety is associated with each HA activity. Those camps with swimming areas must have certified aquatic or “waterfront directors,” lifeguards and observers, a defined swimming area and lifesaving equipment. Campers are required to follow check-in and check-out water procedures and perform swimming ability testing.
We’ve come to the end of the Getting-Ready-for-Camp story. It has been a prelude to the collection of short stories that are just beginning to be penned. Away with the cell phones and other electronic gadgets; prepare to listen to nature and hope for adventure.
There is excitement in the air as the cars arrive with anxious faces peering through the windows. Thousands of kids are heading to camp this summer, many without previous camp experience of any sort but all with great expectations.
They will be welcomed by a healthy and safe environment. Of more importance to them, however, will be the campfire songs, fireflies, crafts, games, shooting stars and new friendships made.
Theirs are memories in the making and future stories yet to be told.
—Leslie Bek
|
