SEVERE norovirus outbreak

[HikerMom58]

SEVERE norovirus outbreak on the trail between Hot Springs and Erwin. Shelters and privies reported contaminated by sick hikers. Avoid the area or at least the shelter / public areas. I'm just passing along this information from other Whiteblaze Members. ChinMusic, who is currently on the trail, is also reporting this outbreak.

[slow mind]

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/norovirus/article_em.htm

[slow mind]

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/norovirus/page7_em.htm

Self treatment, interestiing it say that things like Imodium ect. will NOT help and only prolong it .

[Jack Tarlin]

1. Nobody knows this is "norovirus." Nor has any health practitioner described the problem as "severe."
2. Something like this happens every year. It is widely discussed and then discounted.
3. It is increasingly well-reported and discussed as more and more hikers spend too much time on-line each year.
4. These episodes of danger or "hiker plague" are usually greatly exaggerated.
5. This includes accounts of "contaminated" shelters, hostels, trail facilities, etc.
6. These reports tend to do little except worry hikers and their families needlessly.

A bit of calm might seem in order. Words like "severe"; "outbreak;" "contamination"; etc. probably do not help here. This is not England in 1348; this is not a plague year. It would generally be imprudent to read too much into what one might read in a a trail journal or two. Until we hear some sort of corroboration from a Trail official, or better yet, a medical person on the ground in the "affected" area, I suggest that everyone take a deep breath.

[WingedMonkey]

Have any state or county heath departments confirmed this is norovirus?

[HikerMom58]

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/norovirus/page7_em.htm

Self treatment, interestiing it say that things like Imodium ect. will NOT help and only prolong it .

yes, interesting..

Here's ChinMusic's post:

Folks, we have a full-blown trail epidemic going on between Hot Springs and Erwin. If it is beyond that I cannot tell. More than 50% of the hikers are sick or recovered. Those unaffected are in the minority. I personally only know a few folks now that have NOT been sick. The last three nights I have gone to sleep with the sounds of dry heaves. Every day I see people still in their sleeping bags trying to sleep it off. Fortunately it only lasts 24-36 hours. But it is 24-36 hours of hell.

[HikerMom58]

Have any state or county heath departments confirmed this is norovirus?

No, I don't think they have WM... Chin is hoping that the CDC will look into the matter- their headquarters is in Atlanta, I believe.

[curtisvowen]

SEVERE norovirus outbreak on the trail between Hot Springs and Erwin. Shelters and privies reported contaminated by sick hikers. Avoid the area or at least the shelter / public areas. I'm just passing along this information from other Whiteblaze Members. ChinMusic, who is currently on the trail, is also reporting this outbreak.

Define:"SEVERE"
There's a 48 hour cold bug going around, but posting there's a Norovirus outbreak?
Are you a doctor? So it's Norovirus? Avoid the area?
O.K. I'll bypass 75 miles of trail because of what you said.
I talked today with 5 hikers 30 miles South of Erwin....no problem.
Every time hikers leave town they have problems with their guts....gorge themselves on "normal food" in town and within the first 10 miles leave everything they ate in a cat hole somewhere along the trail.
Best thing to do is never shake hands with anyone....do the hiker shake...Fist Bump and move on.

[Luddite]

So is this likely due to a contaminated water source?

their headquarters is in Atlanta, I believe.

I thought Dr. Edwin Jenner took care of it. lol

[curtisvowen]

P.S. I've known ChinMusic for years. We broke bread together while he was here and spent time with my family.

[HikerMom58]

Define:"SEVERE"
There's a 48 hour cold bug going around, but posting there's a Norovirus outbreak?
Are you a doctor? So it's Norovirus? Avoid the area?
O.K. I'll bypass 75 miles of trail because of what you said.
I talked today with 5 hikers 30 miles South of Erwin....no problem.
Every time hikers leave town they have problems with their guts....gorge themselves on "normal food" in town and within the first 10 miles leave everything they ate in a cat hole somewhere along the trail.
Best thing to do is never shake hands with anyone....do the hiker shake...Fist Bump and move on.

I just posted what I've seen others posting on the hikers FB page. I first saw ChinMusic talking about it on 2013 Thru-hikers FB page.

Here you go another post from FB- *QUOTE* "Somebody from the ATC needs to call Curtis at Standing bear and the outfitter in Hot Springs and get them to post this info where hikers will see it."

Are they talking about you, curtisvowen? I'm not a doctor. I'm just a concerned WB member....I thought people would like to know about this....

[Meriadoc]

Mmm, I had norovirus twice last year. That's what I get for flip flopping!

Practice good hygiene and stay hydrated. (The latter in case you get it - trust me, it sucks to come down with norovirus when you are already dehydrated.)

Thanks for the heads up HikerMom. I'm heading down for a quick two week section so I'll just have to be careful.

[Chaco Taco]

YET, another reason to avoid shelters

[Mrs Baggins]

Same thing as the "cruise ship virus" - - extraordinarily contagious. I caught it in late 2002 from a co-worker who came to work sick. She touched the door handles and taps in the ladies room (she was throwing up all the way to work and then insisted on staying at work while continuing to throw up)...then I touched it not long after. That's the ONLY thing we had in common. Woke up the next morning feeling as though my eyes were about to explode out of my head and then the throwing up started..among other things. The obvious symptoms did last about 24 hours but I was weak, dizzy and unable to eat much of anything for a good week afterward. At that time it was tearing thru whole neighborhoods here.

[WingedMonkey]

YET, another reason to avoid shelters

YET another reason to avoid Facebook.

[curtisvowen]

Or get a life after Facebook.

[RF_ace]

Why does basic hygiene go out the window for most when they start walking in the woods

[HikerMom58]

YET another reason to avoid Facebook.

WM... FB is good, sometimes. When hikers don't come over to WB to share, they share it on FB... TMI..

Meriadoc... be careful and have a blast!

[Jack Tarlin]

Curtis' post (#8) makes a world of sense. Everyone here needs to take a deep breath and calm down.

[Chaco Taco]

so yet again, we have case of he said, she said. This is all speculation. Until the health department puts out some sort of warning, Ill just go with folks getting on the internet and freaking out......