July 2014, EPA releases new resources to help consumers make informed choices about insect repellents. Learn More 
Every year, some of the most common calls received on the ACA Camp Crisis Hotline pertain to communicable diseases and insect infestations. The potential for the spread of communicable diseases at camp means that camps must continue to pay diligent attention to communicable disease control strategies.
Top Five Tips for Camps
- Partner with parents to reduce the introduction of communicable diseases in camp: Educate parents and caregivers about their role in illness prevention BEFORE camp begins. This parent flyer provides key messages for parents.
- Establish "opening day" screening processes: Establish processes that screen campers for communicable diseases when they arrive at camp. Set a policy that states that the camp retains the right to refuse admission to someone who poses a communicable disease threat.
- Establish and implement policies that prevent the spread of disease: Personal protective practices such as frequent handwashing, remaining hydrated, sleeping with the greatest distance between heads, and effectively covering coughs and sneezes (with an arm or sleeve — NOT a hand) should be included.
Establish policies to keep your staff healthy: Policies and performance evaluations should reinforce how important it is that staff take proper care of themselves, including getting sufficient amounts of rest.
Regularly evaluate and update your health care practices and procedures: Seek out and use the most-up-to-date information from trusted resources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (see below).
- ACA E-institute Online Course: No Outbreaks Here: Simple Strategies for Reducing the Spread of Communicable Diseases at Camp 
- Bed Bugs 
- Chikungunya Virus 
- Ebola Hemmorrhagic Fever  NEW September 2014
- Hantavirus 
- Immunization Recommendations for International Staff 
- Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever 
- Lice 
- Measles 
- Meningitis: Is Your Camp Educated? 
- MERS - Middle East Respiratory Syndrome 
- Mosquito-borne Diseases 
- MRSA Infections 
- Norovirus 
- Pandemic Preparedness: How Concerned Should Camps Be? 
- Pertussis (Whooping Cough) 
- Scabies 
- Shigellosis 
- Ticks 
- Water-borne Infection: Naegleria fowleri 
- West Nile Virus 
- American Camp Association Healthy Camp Study Final Impact Report 
- American Camp Association Parent Flyer 
Association of Camp Nurses Link
Centers for Disease Control Links
World Health Organization Links