"What do we do to bugs?" Jeff Parsons asked three-year-old Kaitlyn Putney Saturday as they fished by the river.

"Squish 'em," Putney said.

And that's about all Putney is doing - with some mosquito spray action on the side - to kill off potentially deadly mosquitos.

"If you're gonna get it, you're gonna get it," said Duane Duda, who was fishing with the group. "Hopefully it's a good mosquito, but if it's the wrong mosquito that bites, then you're soup. There's nothing you can do about it."

And that's what most people who the Tribune talked to in the area are saying, despite record numbers of West Nile cases being reported by the state this week. The total reached 88, with 53 new cases and a majority coming from the Bismarck-Mandan region.

The West Nile virus is carried by mosquitos that pass it on to humans, causing encephalitis and inflammation of the brain.

Despite the jump in cases, Fort Lincoln Park ranger Maureen Trnka said it hasn't stopped campers from coming out this weekend.

"We'll be full tonight," Trnka said. "It's a typical Labor Day weekend."

Bismarck resident Mike Fagerland and his family were some of the campers out enjoying the sunny weather Saturday at Fort Lincoln. He said the threat of West Nile hasn't affected what his family does, although it has hit close to home for them. A friend's wife was diagnosed with the virus about two weeks ago but has mostly recovered.

"She got really tired and couldn't do much," Fagerland said.

With his 5- and 2-year-olds running around - one in diapers and the other in jeans - Fagerland said the only thing his family is doing differently this weekend is putting bug spray with DEET on the kids.

"I've heard that's not good for kids," Fagerland said. "But it's the lesser of two evils I guess."

Although Mandan resident Terrie Stein hasn't started using spray with DEET, she said she is reapplying bug repellent more often to her kids, even though she hasn't seen many mosquitos.

"We are doing more spraying in the evening," said Stein, who is camping with her family this weekend at Fort Lincoln. "It's in the back of my mind, and I know the symptoms so we are aware of them and will check them out if someone has them."

Symptoms range from fever, headache, body aches, skin rash and swollen lymph glands to neck stiffness, disorientation, tremors, convulsions and paralysis. Although most people either don't become sick or fully recover, the virus can lead to death.

Trnka said although there is a record number of cases being reported, Fort Lincoln officials aren't doing anything different this weekend as far as mosquito control and informing campers. Currently the park only keeps mosquito traps, which are similar to bee traps, but have water in them, which drowns the mosquitos. Those mosquitos are sent to the state health department to be tested for West Nile. So far none have come back positive, Trnka said.

"It's been dry and that helps us," Trnka said. "There hasn't been an increase in mosquitos, anyway we aren't hearing it from our campers. It's certainly in the area, but it hasn't affected our attendance."

(Reach reporter Sheena Dooley at 250-8225 or sheenadooley@ndonline.com.)