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Scouts try to keep cool at the jamboree. The CDC says more should have been done to prevent heat-related illnesses. |
By JEFF BRANSCOME
The 2005 National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill was marred by the electrocution of four Scout leaders and heat-related illnesses suffered by hundreds of people.
But a new federal report notes the effective way health officials tracked the Scouts' illnesses and injuries at the Caroline County Army post during the 10-day event. It cites the public health surveillance effort as a model for other large, outdoor events.
The study released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out that the event's organizers failed to provide enough water and shade for those attending a jamboree show July 27, which led to hundreds of Scouts being overcome by the heat.
But the report "is not about the mass casualties as much as its about the surveillance," said Virginia Department of Health epidemiologist Mike Coletta, one of the report's co-authors. "In that sense, I believe the jamboree was a success."
The CDC report details the methods used to identify and/or prevent illnesses and injuries at the quadrennial event. The jamboree's 25 clinics recorded 14,857 injuries and illnesses, the report states, almost a quarter of them caused by the heat.
July 27 was the worst day, when Boy Scouts of America officials announced that at least 300 people had been treated for heat-related illnesses. That number could be low, the report says, because "the number of ill campers overwhelmed the system."
An estimated 60,000 sweltered in the late-afternoon heat as they waited for a scheduled appearance by President Bush. The visit was eventually canceled due to thunderstorms.
The heat index reached 121 degrees while people stood for several hours "without adequate water or shade structures," the report said.
"It was just so hot, they needed more water than they had," Coletta said in an interview yesterday.
Boy Scouts spokesman Gregg Shields said officials are still studying the report, which they hope will help them plan for a "good, safe jamboree in 2010."
"It's tragically unfortunate that anyone suffered from heat-related illnesses," he said. "But our medical operation was ready and able to respond when help was needed."
Scout officials have also said they are reviewing safety procedures to prevent another tragedy like the one that happened on the first day of the jamboree. Four Scout leaders died when the pole of a tent they were erecting touched an overhead power line.
The Army said last week that its investigation had ruled the deaths an accident. The CDC report released yesterday did not address the electrocutions.
It did note that jamboree officials were better prepared for the heat on July 31, when the Bush appearance was rescheduled. That day had one of the lowest rates of heat-related illnesses during the 10-day event, the study found.
Officials provided about eight air-conditioned buses, as well as additional water and tents, for those attending the show, Coletta said.
The health-surveillance program began at the start of the jamboree. Volunteers screened people on each incoming bus, asking participants whether they had experienced symptoms such as diarrhea, rash, fever and coughing.
Once the event began, medical staff at each of the jamboree's 25 clinics recorded patient complaints.
The authors credit the public health surveillance system with finding two groups of campers who were sick when they arrived at the event.
"The prescreening was very important in finding this outbreak," said Elizabeth Melius of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service and the report's main author.
She said she conducted similar research in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina.
"When any large group gathers, there is the potential for disease outbreaks," she said. "Surveillance in general is important to detect these events quickly so that prevention and control measures can be implemented quickly."
Most of the other health problems included blisters, nosebleeds, dental problems and lacerations, the report states.
Dr. Donald R. Stern, director of the Rappahannock Area Health District, said the surveillance system is not new. Used at the 2001 jamboree, it features a daily gathering of the people involved in health care.
"Every morning they are briefed on what happened the day before," he said.
Staff reporter Jim Hall contributed to this story.
To reach JEFF BRANSCOME:
Email: jbranscome@freelancestar.com
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Injuries and illnesses suffered at the 2005 National Scout Jamboree included: 1,624 cases of heat exhaustion or stroke 1,016 respiratory problems 3,959 blisters, nosebleeds and dental problems 2,795 lacerations and abrasions 1,377 bites or stings 453 tick bites 417 rashes 5 deaths, four electrocutions; one heart attack |
