Norovirus outbreak hits Pacific Crest Trail
- Hikers on California’s Pacific Crest Trail reported a norovirus outbreak on May 21, with illnesses centered near Wrightwood and a shared water cache. - At least two dozen hikers reported symptoms and seven were diagnosed, The Inertia said; one 73-year-old hiker was evacuated by helicopter. - The Pacific Crest Trail Association said it is working with San Bernardino County public health and will share updates publicly.
At least two dozen hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail have reported symptoms consistent with norovirus on a stretch of trail near Wrightwood, California, according to a May 21 report by The Inertia. Seven hikers had been diagnosed, the report said, and one 73-year-old hiker was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital in Lancaster. The illnesses were reported on the Southern California section of the 2,650-mile trail that runs from Mexico to Canada. The Pacific Crest Trail Association said it was aware of gastrointestinal illness reports in the Wrightwood area and was working with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health. ### Where on the trail are hikers getting sick? Wrightwood, a mountain town north of Los Angeles, has emerged as the center of the reports. The Inertia said attention had focused on Swarthout Valley, between Cajon Pass and Mount Baden-Powell, where volunteers known as trail angels had maintained a shared water cache for hikers. The source has not been confirmed. (theinertia.com) The Inertia, citing SFGATE, said one volunteer believed the contamination point could be farther south because norovirus can take about 48 hours to incubate. Trail volunteers later replaced the shared fill station with sealed water bottles, according to The Inertia. ### How serious were the illnesses? (theinertia.com) A 73-year-old hiker was airlifted from the trail and diagnosed with norovirus at a Lancaster hospital, The Inertia reported. The hiker said he was extremely weak. Other hikers described vomiting, diarrhea and severe weakness in local media accounts summarized by The Inertia and other outlets. Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea in the United States, according to the U.S. (theinertia.com) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus inflames the stomach and intestines, and symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, headache and body aches. Illness usually lasts one to three days, the CDC says, but dehydration can become a concern, especially in remote settings. ### Why can norovirus spread quickly on long-distance trails? The CDC says norovirus spreads easily when particles from vomit or feces get into another person’s mouth, including through contaminated food, water or surfaces. Camping and backpacking trips can be especially vulnerable because clean water, handwashing facilities and bathroom separation may be limited. (theinertia.com) The outdoor guidance from the CDC says most portable water filters do not remove viruses like norovirus. The agency says boiling water is the most reliable way to kill germs in backcountry settings, and it recommends keeping toileting areas at least 200 feet from campsites, food-preparation areas and water sources. ### What precautions matter most right now? The CDC says soap and water matter more than hand sanitizer for norovirus. (cdc.gov) Its guidance says hand sanitizer alone “does not work well” against the virus and should not replace handwashing. Bleach-based disinfection also matters. The CDC recommends cleaning contaminated areas promptly and using a chlorine bleach solution or an EPA-registered disinfectant effective against norovirus after vomiting or diarrhea incidents. (cdc.gov) The Inertia said hikers in Pacific Crest Trail groups were already urging others to use bleach sanitation wipes. (cdc.gov) ### What have trail officials said? The Pacific Crest Trail Association said in a statement cited by The Inertia that it was “aware of reports of gastrointestinal illness in the Wrightwood area.” The group said it was working with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health as officials assessed the situation and that it intended to share information publicly when available. (theinertia.com) The PCTA’s closures and trail-conditions pages remain the main public channels for trail alerts, while local public-health authorities would be positioned to identify any confirmed source. As of May 21, published reporting said the suspected link to the shared water cache had not been confirmed. (closures.pcta.org) (theinertia.com)
