HUNTSVILLE -- Health department officials are investigating several reports of stomach ailments among a small group of teen-age girls who attended a summer church camp last week.
The girls were part of a group of about 45 people at Camp Shawnee in Huntsville from Aug. 2 to 5. The camp is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
So far only a few have gone to the doctor to report they are sick, but Weber-Morgan Health Department said those that have been reported sick display symptoms of gastroenteritis, which results in a range of stomach ailments similar to stomach flu, including abdominal pain and vomiting.
"We have a small group," said Glen Kinney, health department epidemiologist, "and within that small group we have a small cluster of sick girls."
Kinney said the cause of the gastroenteritis is unknown. The health department is currently investigating what caused the maladies and where the girls got sick.
The investigation is in its preliminary stages, Kinney said. Health officials are contacting the girls and staff members to find out who is sick and who is not.
The investigation includes examining the camp's water system, food preparation and overall facilities. Investigators also look at the medical histories of the complainants.
Until they have more information, Kinney said, medical investigators cannot be sure what made the girls sick or if the illness came from the camp.
Ogden resident Katalin Gibson's daughter attended the camp and became sick the day after she came home. No one else in the family has been ill.
Gibson said initial analysis came back negative for E. coli, but the doctors are currently testing for other possibilities, such as salmonella.
Whatever the test results reveal, Gibson said she does not blame the people at the camp. She feels that they did their best to ensure her daughter's well-being.
"I know many of the people involved and I consider them good people," said Gibson, wife of Standard- Examiner Opinion Editor Doug Gibson. "I don't think they did anything knowingly to put my child in harm's way."
Gibson's daughter is still on summer vacation, so she will continue to recuperate at home.
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