We talk to campers and staff about ticks, and over the two years I worked in the health lodge, ticks were probably the most common issue that came to us (I loved picking them off!). We taped the ticks to letters, had the campers name them, then sent them home with parents at the end of each session, in case of problems.
To my knowledge, we've never had a case of lyme disease from camp.
HOWEVER, in 2006 I picked off a tick in precamp, and didn't think anything of it until later that day I started feeling dizzy. It continued the next day until finally I was taken to the ER with a high fever. I was also hallucinating a bit. When I got to the hospital, I started breaking out in spots all over my body.
Turns out I had Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which is uncommon in my region, but there were a number of cases that year. I was prescribed an antibiotic and sent home for a week.
