Possible Zika Virus Outbreak In The US Looms Over Summer Camps; Parents Fear Children’s Safety

The possibility of a Zika virus outbreak in the United States is not entirely far from reality. Summer and mosquitoes go hand-in-hand, especially in the country's southern states where the climate is warmer.

Mosquitoes biting children are so common that parents fear allowing their kids go to summer camps is making them vulnerable against Zika. However, American Camp Association Board President Tisha Bolger assured parents that camp administrators are prepared to fight mosquito populations this summer, NPR reported.

Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The virus is most dangerous to pregnant women because it attacks a fetus' brain cells and causes microcephaly, a condition where babies have abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains.

CDC's General Prevention Guidelines Don't Suit Summer Camps

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released general Zika virus prevention guidelines, but there are no rules specific to summer camps yet. Majority of those guidelines suggest wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants and staying inside rooms with air conditioning and windows. Those suggestions, however, cannot be easily followed in summer camps where children wear shorts, swimsuits and tank tops as they do activities outdoors.

One suggestion in the CDC guidelines also involves putting the chemical permethrin on clothing and equipment. The chemical kills insects but causes skin rashes to humans. This approach can be dangerous, especially to children.

As of now, camp administrators apply bug repellents more. Alyson Gondek, camp director at Camp Woodmont in Cloudland, Georgia, said the facility hasn't bought mosquito netting for each of the camp's beds.

No Immediate Threat

There is no reported local transmission of the Zika virus in the U.S. yet. As of June 8, all of the 691 recorded cases involved people who got the virus via sexual transmission or traveled in countries where the Zika outbreak is most prominent, NPR further reported. But take note that there are some counties in U.S. states that have populations of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, the Journal of Medical Entomology noted.

Dr. Jason James, chairman of the Baptist Health Resource Center's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said Miami is the most vulnerable area in the U.S. when it comes to a potential Zika outbreak, Miami Herald reported. Miami's tropical weather is an ideal breeding ground for Zika-carrying mosquitoes. The city also has high numbers of Latin American travelers.

Scientists stressed out that they are still unsure about how long Zika remains in the human body, NPR added. There's a possibility that mosquito bites during the summer could one day be spread by sexually active teenagers.