Hikers sick in Shenandoah

[hikerboy57]

i think its the plague

[HikerMom58]

i think its the plague

I'm glad you didn't get it and I don't want to get it!

Thanks for the heads up Blissful.

[Colter]

it's all about what they ate and drank in waynesboro. ain't nothin' bad with the water sources

You don't know that. Apparently that doesn't stop you from presenting your conjecture as fact.

[Bucketfoot]

Unclean hands, unfiltered water,contamination from other hikers. all kinds of questions here.

[Chaco Taco]

If you guys are going to argue, could you at least argue about whether this a plague or something? It's kind of a freebie.

Seriously......... thanks Gator

[Chaco Taco]

There are the Blue Ridge Mountains, and there is Shenandoah National Park (Named after the Shenandoah river valley), but there is no place in VA called the "Shennies". Every time I hear that I feel like my head will explode. There is a Shenandoah Mountain, but it is in George Washington National Forrest on the west side of the valley (also called Great North Mountain). Sorry had to say it, it's just one of those nights.

Blissful, thanks for the info.

Maybe, you spend way too much time thinking about it. When you get "in a mood" maybe dont hit the "post" key.
Thank Blissful for getting the RIGHT info out there!

[aficion]

If you guys are going to argue, could you at least argue about whether this a plague or something? It's kind of a freebie.

"What difference does it make?." "Death is part of life."...............It's just dying....all good...and all that happy hooh hah.

[Blissful]

Update on the sickness. It seems many hikers are sick in Waynesboro and were holed up at the Quality Inn. It's a quick bug - lasts about 24 hrs with some vomiting, not like the one down near Erwin. Some are out back hiking now, but weak. A few did hike out early and then were sick at Pinefield and Hightop huts. SO be careful out there.

[bfayer]

Thanks Blissful.

Good to know this one is short lived as its heading towards my backyard so to speak.

[Coosa]

I suggest "hand washing stations" with soap & warm water & a fingernail brush and a separate bowl for rinse water as TRAIL MAGIC

Dispose of dirty water in a "cat hole"

1- clean hands before and after using privy & eating >> use some soap as anti-bacterial gel does not clean hands, only sanitizes them.
2- do not share food bags
3- treat water >> you do know deer tend to pee IN streams & water sources, right?

[Donde]

i think its the plague

Bring out your dead!!! bring out your dead!!

[Chaco Taco]

Update on the sickness. It seems many hikers are sick in Waynesboro and were holed up at the Quality Inn. It's a quick bug - lasts about 24 hrs with some vomiting, not like the one down near Erwin. Some are out back hiking now, but weak. A few did hike out early and then were sick at Pinefield and Hightop huts. SO be careful out there.

Thanks for the information Blissful. Glad to know you will be out there!!!

[HikerMom58]

Thanks Blissful, we can always count on you for good info...

FYI to everyone concerned.... The first "Noro Virus" sickness thread that I posted came directly from Blissful. I'm a friend of her FB page. I trust this person for reliable information. She wasn't a ridge runner in the "hot zone" but she had been hiking down that way. THANK YOU BLISSFUL!!

And I will also throw in some other useful info since she brought up the hotel name.... that Quality Inn in Waynesboro where sick hikers are holed up. .... It has been reported, by another source I trust, to have an infestation of bed bugs in at least one of their rooms.

[Slo-go'en]

There are all kinds of ways to get tummy ackes on the trail. Without extenstive testing, the exact cause is impossible to determine. Some of the privies look so gross, you can get sick just walking by them. Groundhog Creek shelter, just north of Standing Bear was by far the worse so far. But I'm about to head into the Norovirus section, so we'll see.

[Chaco Taco]

There are all kinds of ways to get tummy ackes on the trail. Without extenstive testing, the exact cause is impossible to determine. Some of the privies look so gross, you can get sick just walking by them. Groundhog Creek shelter, just north of Standing Bear was by far the worse so far. But I'm about to head into the Norovirus section, so we'll see.

lots of booze dude, drink lots of booze

[Bronk]

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.

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

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 Shennandoah....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.

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......


naturally because of the post by the WB member, people are freaking out on facebox, get a grip folks

Today, I did shuttles to Shenandoah, 6 hrs. on the road. Typical everyday for me.
I saw at least 20 hikers throughout my travels and talked to 5 hikers, (the other 15 were bleeding out their noses...what disease is that? I was to scared to talk with them), a fellow shuttler, another hostel owner and the owner of an outfitter.
Not one nor the hikers said anything about some kinda disease.
So I'm in the trenches and you're surfing FB/WB and telling us 1 person said blah blah blah?
3k posts and 3 miles of hiking don't mean much.

I love you man but your numbers don't add up and it makes u look stupid.
"More than half the hikers in the past 5 days have become sick"?
There's easily 100 hikers between A & B and more than half have become sick?
What did you do sit there at some gap and survey everyone that passed.
I'm done.

[Chaco Taco]

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.

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

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 Shennandoah....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.

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......


naturally because of the post by the WB member, people are freaking out on facebox, get a grip folks

Today, I did shuttles to Shenandoah, 6 hrs. on the road. Typical everyday for me.
I saw at least 20 hikers throughout my travels and talked to 5 hikers, (the other 15 were bleeding out their noses...what disease is that? I was to scared to talk with them), a fellow shuttler, another hostel owner and the owner of an outfitter.
Not one nor the hikers said anything about some kinda disease.
So I'm in the trenches and you're surfing FB/WB and telling us 1 person said blah blah blah?
3k posts and 3 miles of hiking don't mean much.

I love you man but your numbers don't add up and it makes u look stupid.
"More than half the hikers in the past 5 days have become sick"?
There's easily 100 hikers between A & B and more than half have become sick?
What did you do sit there at some gap and survey everyone that passed.
I'm done.

This guy gets it. Although, if the information comes from Blissful, Ill take it for what it is worth. She is a ridgerunner in the area and relays alot of the information from that section. I do agree with about 99% of the rest of what you said though.

[moytoy]

I don't know if it's the flu, or a virus, or a plague, or bad hamburger but down here we just call it the creeping crud. If I have it don't try to cheer me up with that dang harp/

[HikerMom58]

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.

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

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 Shennandoah....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.

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......


naturally because of the post by the WB member, people are freaking out on facebox, get a grip folks

Today, I did shuttles to Shenandoah, 6 hrs. on the road. Typical everyday for me.
I saw at least 20 hikers throughout my travels and talked to 5 hikers, (the other 15 were bleeding out their noses...what disease is that? I was to scared to talk with them), a fellow shuttler, another hostel owner and the owner of an outfitter.
Not one nor the hikers said anything about some kinda disease.
So I'm in the trenches and you're surfing FB/WB and telling us 1 person said blah blah blah?
3k posts and 3 miles of hiking don't mean much.

I love you man but your numbers don't add up and it makes u look stupid.
"More than half the hikers in the past 5 days have become sick"?
There's easily 100 hikers between A & B and more than half have become sick?
What did you do sit there at some gap and survey everyone that passed.
I'm done.

Actually, hikers in Erwin tested positive for the norovirus!! The ATC and the local health Dept worked together to come up with the diagnosis a week or so ago. I don't believe anything thing you say Bronk or Chaco Taco. You guys are sitting in FL and NH. You know NOTHING about the situation and your words are meaningless. I have no respect for your opinions on this at all. You are making total fools of yourselves by posting things like this.....

[10-K]

I have no idea how many hikers I've shuttled since March but a lot of them have been pretty sick. It was worse in April but this week so far I've picked up 5 hikers who were sick that I can recall and it's Wednesday and there are fewer hikers in town every day as the bubble moves north.