Flu cases close Wis. camp; 1 case is swine flu

SILVER LAKE, Wis. -- Flu cases have forced the temporary shut down of a summer camp operated by the Salvation Army in southeastern Wisconsin, including one confirmed as swine flu, officials said Friday.

Camp Wonderland director John Welch said 190 campers between the ages of 8 and 12 -- many from northern Illinois and northwest Indiana -- were sent home Wednesday after starting a scheduled weeklong visit Monday.

The camp on Center Lake will be closed until July 13 while being disinfected.

Welch said a counselor was confirmed late Thursday as having the H1N1 virus, or swine flu. Test results still were pending for another counselor.

The director said the counselors may have contracted the flu the previous week from previous campers who had to be sent home after coming down with fevers.

"It's a real disappointment and it's a real hard decision to make, but we're thinking of the children and our staff," Welch said. "We didn't want anything to continue."

The camp worked with Kenosha County health officials in deciding what action to take. Diane Bosovich, assistant director of nursing at the Kenosha County Health Department, said the agency based its guidance to the camp on guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in dealing with the flu.

Shutting down until July 13 will allow for the thorough cleaning and disinfection while preventing the spread of infection that can happen when people stay in close quarters.