Dozens of hikers suddenly fall sick on California section of iconic Pacific Crest Trail
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- Approximately a dozen hikers have fallen ill with a stomach bug, likely norovirus, after hiking a section of the Pacific Crest Trail near Wrightwood, California.
- The Pacific Crest Trail Association is collaborating with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health to investigate the outbreak, which has resulted in at least one hiker being airlifted to a hospital.
- Reports indicate 7-12 confirmed norovirus cases in the past two weeks, with symptoms including severe vomiting and diarrhea; the virus may have spread via a water cache in Swarthout Valley.
- Hikers are urged to practice good hygiene, such as handwashing and using sealed water bottles, as norovirus can survive on surfaces for weeks and is highly contagious.
- Norovirus causes about 109,000 hospitalizations and 900 deaths annually in the U.S., primarily among older adults, and outbreaks in remote hiking areas are not uncommon.