EFN

Parents across the nation are thinking twice about sending their kids to summer camps because of the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu.

A large number of the 12,000-plus summer camps in the United States are expanding their efforts to safeguard against the spread of the new H1N1 swine flu, which has caused the first pandemic of the 21st century.

With summer camp season in full gear, camps nationwide are reporting outbreaks of the virus. At least nine cases were confirmed at two Jewish camps in Texas, and a Georgia camp has two. Many more cases are suspected as well, and a camp in California has closed for the summer because of the virus.

More than one million Americans are expected to be infected with the H1N1 virus, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus generally results in mild symptoms that due go away, however it can lead to death in some patients. To date, it has killed 170 people in the United States and more than 300 globally.

Unless kids already have underlying ailments or immunodeficiencies, attending camps doesn’t necessary pose a higher risk of catching swine flu than going to public spaces like playgrounds and shopping centers