Don't forget to pack and use your Hand Sanitizer often!

[HikerMom58]

According to ATC's southern regional office in Asheville, which has been working with the local and state health departments, norovirus was confirmed among A.T. hikers tested in the Erwin area.--- Per LaurieP in the Jerry's Cabin helping sick hiker thread.

Thanks LaurieP for the update.. Thank you ATC for your work!

[Old Hiker]

FINALLY !! My anti-social tendancies would have (maybe) prevented me from getting sick!

Seriously, sanitation would be paramount! I have a medium sized bottle that I keep with my TP, etc. Hopefully, everyone has gotten over the illness and has been able to continue with their hike.

[turtle fast]

The virus again this year at Erwin? Last year too....what is up with the Erwin area?

[Ox97GaMe]

I was providing a bit of trail magic this past week. Handing out travel size bottles of hand sanitizer to the hikers coming out of the Smokies. handed out almost 50 bottles. Maybe we can nip this thing before it spreads too much more.

[HikerMom58]

I was providing a bit of trail magic this past week. Handing out travel size bottles of hand sanitizer to the hikers coming out of the Smokies. handed out almost 50 bottles. Maybe we can nip this thing before it spreads too much more.

WTG........... Ox97GaMe, that was very thoughtful and kind of you to do that!

[Sarcasm the elf]

Just so you know, purell might not be the answer to this one (which is bad news for me, as I usually rely on the stuff while hiking).

Hand sanitizer won't stop norovirus, report says


http://m.wcvb.com/health/Hand-sanitizer-won-t-stop-norovirus-report-says/-/17428514/18278254/-/3cjj0o/-/index.html

As a new strain of norovirus continues to sicken people across the country, public health officials say a common weapon to fight germs is ineffective against this stomach bug.
While alcohol-based sanitizers may help kill and reduce some strains of the flu, studies show they may be useless against norovirus, an acute gastrointestinal illness.

Some viruses are coated in lipids that the alcohol in the sanitizer can penetrate. However, norovirus is generally not affected, according to a New York Times report.

Some of the best weapons are bleach, which can be used to disinfect surfaces such as bathroom fixtures, door handles and counter tops, and hand washing.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of long-term facilities showed that in those where staff used alcohol-based sanitizers, they were six times more likely to have an outbreak of norovirus than that those where the staff used soap and water.

This week, the CDC announced that a new norovirus strain, GII.4 Sydney, has been identified as the leading cause of norovirus outbreaks from September to December of this year.

"The new strain spread rapidly across the United States from September to December 2012," said Dr. Aron Hall, epidemiologist, CDC's Division of Viral Diseases. "The proportion of reported outbreaks caused by this strain increased dramatically from 19 percent in September to 58 percent in December."

Norovirus is the No. 1 cause of acute gastroenteritis, which leads to diarrhea and vomiting. Each year, more than 21 million people in the United States get infected and develop acute gastroenteritis, and about 800 die.

Young children and elderly adults have the highest risk for severe illness, officials said.

[HikerMom58]

Just so you know, purell might not be the answer to this one (which is bad news for me, as I usually rely on the stuff while hiking).

I saw that Elf... I think WM put it on another thread. Well, I don't know what else to do. I guess we should carry around a bleach mixture in bottles instead. I can't get enough of the purell when I'm on the trail, tho.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I saw that Elf... I think WM put it on another thread. Well, I don't know what else to do. I guess we should carry around a bleach mixture in bottles instead. I can't get enough of the purell when I'm on the trail, tho.

As best I understand, good old soap and water is the best option. That and not touching other hikers (hiker fist bump instead of hand shake,) hands out of the GORP bag, and avoiding shelters/log books....all good ideas.

[HikerMom58]

As best I understand, good old soap and water is the best option. That and not touching other hikers (hiker fist bump instead of hand shake,) hands out of the GORP bag, and avoiding shelters/log books....all good ideas.

Those are all really good practices. Excellent ideas. Thanks Elf! Hope you, & your wife to be, have a great trip in CO.

[Malto]

I guess my anti social behavior helps as well. Avoid shelters and ignore registers.

[Wise Old Owl]

Uh BLEACH will not kill molds or virus. Virus is not bacteria ... don't mess this up! Hand sanatizers do not work for viruses

Benzethonium Chloride and Benzalkonium Chloride kill norovirus
Products with either of the above active ingredients WILL kill norovirus in addition to all of the bacterias Purell claims to kill. You can also find these ingredients in household cleaning products such as Lysol. Wet Ones brand wipes have Benzethonium Chloride as the active ingredient and it’s widely available in most stores.

If someone in your household is sick, clean the bathroom with a disinfectant and any other place they may have spent a lot of time in and don’t forget the door knobs and light switches. Show them this blog and convince them to repeatedly wash their hands after doing their bathroom business so as not to spread to anyone else. Keep them home from work or school until they are feeling completely better, usually a couple of days. One of the main reasons norovirus spreads in offices is because those struck with it, don’t want to take the time off from their jobs.


Abstract

Contaminated hands or inanimate surfaces can act as a source of infection during outbreaks of human norovirus infection. We evaluated the virucidal efficacy of seven hand sanitizers containing various active ingredients, such as ethanol, triclosan, and chlorhexidine, and compared their effectiveness against feline calicivirus (FCV), murine norovirus (MNV), and a GII.4 norovirus fecal extract. We also tested the efficacy of 50, 70, and 90% of ethanol and isopropanol. Reduction of viral infectivity was measured by plaque assay, and the number of genomic copies was determined with a TaqMan real-time reverse transcription PCR assay. Based on the results of a quantitative suspension test, only one ethanol-based product (72% ethanol, pH 2.9) and one triclosan-based product (0.1% triclosan, pH 3.0) reduced the infectivity of both MNV and FCV (by >2.6 and ≥3.4 log units, respectively). Four of the seven products were effective against either MNV or FCV, whereas chlorhexidine was ineffective against both viruses. For these hand sanitizers, no correlation was found between reduced infectivity and decline of viral RNA. Ethanol and isopropanol concentrations ≥70% reduced the infectivity of MNV by ≥2.6 log units, whereas 50 and 70% ethanol reduced the infectivity of FCV by ≥2.2 log units after exposure for 5 min. The susceptibility of FCV to low pH and the relative high susceptibility of MNV to alcohols suggest that both surrogate viruses should be considered for in vitro testing of hand sanitizers.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Uh BLEACH will not kill molds or virus. Virus is not bacteria ... don't mess this up! Hand sanatizers do not work for viruses

Sorry WOO, I'm not following, everything I've read, including the CDC and NC dept of public health sites recommend bleach for disinfecting surfaces contaminated with Norovirus.

It is best to use chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite-NaOCl) as the main disinfecting agent (other types of disinfectants are not effective at killing the virus). Use a new, unopened bottle of chlorine bleach and prepare the cleaning solution as indicated below under "Concentrations," using fresh bleach each day. Discard unused portions. (Open bottles of chlorine bleach will lose effectiveness after 30 days, so use a new bottle of bleach every 30 days for accurate concentrations.) Warning: chlorine bleach may damage fabrics and other surfaces. Please spot-test the area before applying to visible surfaces.

http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/norovirus/home.html

[Dogwood]

Alright, Mom. Look. I washed my hands for da supper. Really I did. Ask Garlic, he saw me wash my hands.

[Wise Old Owl]

Sorry WOO, I'm not following, everything I've read, including the CDC and NC dept of public health sites recommend bleach for disinfecting surfaces contaminated with Norovirus.

http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/norovirus/home.html

Fair enough - I dont listen or read CDC ... I get what I call the source ... I am required to go to U of D and U of Penn for in depth courses each year. Bleach is old school please do not make me figure out how to share the material... Bleach has little affect on virus and mold. Look I get the recent info... turns out there are old web pages from 1/2 a cup of bleach to 1 teaspoon... in our culture we do not use this stuff anymore.

[aficion]

I guess my anti social behavior helps as well. Avoid shelters and ignore registers.

Amen...also avoid town stays.......like that's goin to happen.

[HikerMom58]

Alright, Mom. Look. I washed my hands for da supper. Really I did. Ask Garlic, he saw me wash my hands.

I believe ya!! Eat your vegetables too!

[Wise Old Owl]

[QUOTE=Sarcasm the elf;1467780]Sorry WOO, I'm not following, everything I've read, including the CDC and NC dept of public health sites recommend bleach for disinfecting surfaces contaminated with Norovirus.


http://www.cdc.gov/features/norovirus/

Uggh I looked it up anyway....

OK Bleach works - Hydrogen peroxide does a better job than bleach.


When they disinfect a Cruise Ship they use:
ECA-anolyte is an all natural disinfectant formed via electrolysis to create an “activated” solution that has proven to be very effective in eliminating a broad range of bacterial pathogens. In a recent study, ECA-anolyte was tested on feline calicivirus (a surrogate of human norovirus) and was able to deactivate the virus within 1 minute of application.² While there are many concerns regarding chlorine-based cleaners, the study also notes that the active ingredient in ECA-anolyte is an approved food contact sanitizer by the Environmental Protection Agency.

[moytoy]

I've been researching the norovirus (norwalk virus) since 5 this morning. Sites I went to were Wikipedia, cdc.gov, mayo clinic, medicine net and others.
Here are some points of interest that I found. The Norwalk virus is a non-enveloped virus. Because of this the virus can be killed by chlorine bleach. Alcohol is not as effective as just plain soap and water. I can't find anywhere that bleach is "old school". If it is old school The Mayo Clinic needs to update their information. The soap and water washes it off of your hands. It does not kill it. Chlorine bleach can take up to 10 min. to kill the virus.

[Old Hiker]

Alright, Mom. Look. I washed my hands for da supper. Really I did. Ask Garlic, he saw me wash my hands.

I believe ya!! Eat your vegetables too!

Didn't ask the right question, Mom. WHEN did he wash his hands? Last week doesn't count. Or does it?

[FatHead64]

I've been researching the norovirus (norwalk virus) since 5 this morning. Sites I went to were Wikipedia, cdc.gov, mayo clinic, medicine net and others.
Here are some points of interest that I found. The Norwalk virus is a non-enveloped virus. Because of this the virus can be killed by chlorine bleach. Alcohol is not as effective as just plain soap and water. I can't find anywhere that bleach is "old school". If it is old school The Mayo Clinic needs to update their information. The soap and water washes it off of your hands. It does not kill it. Chlorine bleach can take up to 10 min. to kill the virus.

Being as my non-cyber hiking day job involves working in an Aseptic facility (Injectable Pharmaceuticals) we take sanitization pretty seriously. And that is all that we expect of applied chemicals. Bleach is fairly effective, still, but we use much harsher chemicals for some of that. Hence the fact that most pharma plants are monuments to stainless steel - and even that doesn't stand up as well. Bleach works, but you have to know your bugs. As stated, different things work with different bugs. We have staff microbioligists to help with all of this - I just do automation.