The prevalence of tick borne illness has increased globally over the past decade. Tick borne illness has been reported in all 50 states with the most commonly known tick illness being Lyme Disease. Many variations of tick borne bacteria have been reported; a trend that we have been attentively monitoring over the past few years. Reassuringly, in NE Pennsylvania, tick prevalence tends to peak during the spring, with the numbers reducing over the summer months while your children are at camp.
Prevention
There are many ways to prevent tick bites, both before and during camp, all of which we will discuss at the end of this article. First, however, we want to share the proactive steps we have taken at Indian Head to significantly reduce to prevalence of ticks on our campus. Harmful bacteria that cause tick borne illness in our area are often carried on black-legged ticks, commonly known as ‘deer ticks’. Consider these ticks the “source” of the harmful bacteria. There are many common sense approaches to reducing the likelihood that these ticks will be found on campus, such as keeping grasses short and manicured and ensuring that there are no plant sources that attract deer, as deer are often the ‘host’ animal that carry ticks . However, it has been widely documented that often other rodents and animals can also be a ‘host’ to deer ticks, so this approach alone does not suffice.
In 2015 we partnered with the company Ivy Oaks Analytics who were pioneering a new technique to significantly minimize the prevalence of ticks. We met with the owner of the company and felt that given the importance and nature of this topic, it was paramount that IHC invest resources into maximizing preventative measures of tick borne illness. We were, and are, proud to be the first camp in Wayne County, along with Lake Bryn Mawr Camp for Girls, to apply this technique.
Results
Following the first year of working with Ivy Oaks Analytics we had reduced the prevalence of ticks, most specifically deer ticks. Interestingly, and reassuringly, our assessment on the first stage of the analysis (before any treatments were performed) informed us that although deer ticks did exist in the undeveloped thick wooded areas of camp, the numbers were small (n=11). Despite this, we were still very motivated and committed to continuing with the treatment phase which included spraying tick preventing repellants all around campus (all of which as natural and of non-toxic). This post treatment phase of the analysis revealed an eradication of ticks (n=0). This is also reassuring when considering the fact that although the bacteria’s carried by the ticks is evolving, we have focused on removing the ‘source’ and therefore have significantly reduced the probability of an occurrence happening on campus. In addition, at all times on campus we have 12 Tick Control Boxes installed. The boxes prevent ticks from being able to host on rodents, because rodents have been shown to carry the bacteria for Lyme and other tick borne diseases which is transferred to ticks during hosting.
Below is a visual highlighting the treatment perimeter at Camp IHC - all these locations yielded no positive identification of deer tick following treatment (data owned by Ivy Oak Analytics and disseminated with permission)
We are now into our 3rd season of working with Ivy Oaks Analytics. We are relieved we made the commitment in 2015 to address this issue, given the reported increase in national prevalence of tick exposure. Our data confirms that the trend in numbers at IHC is in the opposite direction of national norms, thus evidencing the importance and efficacy of proactive treatment. Furthermore, the accumulated effect of the past 3 cycles of treatment bodes well for our future. Ivy Oaks Analytics has published the results from Indian Head at numerous national conferences in an effort to educate other outdoor organizations on scientifically proven methods of tick prevention.
Joel was proud to introduce the owner of Ivy Oaks Analytics at the Wayne County Camp Alliance meeting this past fall, again where some of the IHC data was shared. We are encouraged that so many camps in our area have now chosen to partner with Ivy Oaks Analytics and share in our commitment to keeping campers safe and healthy in our care.
Overview of other preventative measures before and during camp
- Wearing pre-treated tick repellent clothing is one of the best ways to prevent tick bites. Clothing treated with permethrin, an insecticide that kills ticks on contact, can last for 70 washings. You can also buy permethrin in liquid form and spray it on your clothes. Permethrin has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as safe for use on clothing worn by both adults and children. It is not used on skin. We encourage you to treat your child’s clothes with this agent before camp, or send a spray with this agent to camp, so that we can use it over the summer.
- Skin repellents that contain different levels of DEET are available and used most often in the U.S. They are reportedly safe to use on adults and children two months or older, following label instructions. However, for those who prefer natural repellents, products that use picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus are often used. Both are chemically synthesized ingredients but more similar to natural compounds than DEET.
The EPA is a good source of information on tick repellents in the U.S. The agency publishes a list of mosquito and tick repellents on its website. The EPA has reviewed these repellents for safety and efficacy.
- Tick checks are also an important part of illness prevention. The counselors living with our younger campers (2nd through 5th grade) are trained on performing skin checks in all areas that are not covered by underwear. Each campus (boys, girls, Hill, TW/CIT) also has an identified nurse who will check in with the staff members to ensure there are no other concerns in areas that are more private. Our nursing staff will only speak to your children about these areas – we will not perform a physical check before calling you first. Please speak to your children (regardless of age) about the importance of sharing their concerns about their body with our nursing staff, or any staff member they feel most comfortable. Campers 6th grade and above will be responsible for their own daily tick check. Our staff will offer a reminder during shower hour. Again, please encourage your camper to communicate with their counselors, or privately with our medical staff, if they have a concern. Finally, all of our outpost tripping staff are trained on the removal of ticks and the protocol for the communication of this information with our campus medical team should such an event occur on an off camp trip.
If we do find a tick, or suspect a tick bite, our medical staff will call you immediately. It is common protocol to prescribe a specific antibiotic for a two-week period as a preventative measure. We will of course discuss these options with you, and the other treatment options, over the phone. Additionally, if your child exhibits any symptoms of Lyme or other illness we will order blood work (with your permission) to confirm a diagnosis - and then treat accordingly. You will also have the option to come and collect your child at camp if you would rather such tests be performed by your own pediatrician.
Conclusions
Although the topic of ticks and their bacteria is certainly far from pleasant, we encourage you to focus on the positive nature of the data we have presented. Please feel confident that due to the measures taken at Indian Head over the past few years, we have minimized the likelihood of exposure. We share this information with you to reduce uncertainty and anxiety on this topic, and educate you about the best ways to partner with us, to ensure a healthy community at camp this summer and beyond.