2014 Norovirus Awareness

[Buzzy84]

I actually should have said you "shouldn't" wash up in streams and springs, unfortunately the reality is people do it all the time, along with washing dishes, washing clothes, and disposing of all sorts of unwanted materials and liquids.

If at all possible always get water right out of the pipe at a spring and not the pool

Right I hear ya.

[Starchild]

We all travel down the same narrow corridor. We all touch the same rocks, the same trees for hand holds, etc.

Along with using the same water sources. And that may be more of the reason locals don't seem to have come down with it as much as thru's (your above post). They are not sharing these things, i.e. they are bringing their own water on day hikes, especial when they know that this is going around. So I'm not so sure it is because they have developed some local immunity.

[Starchild]

I actually should have said you "shouldn't" wash up in streams and springs, unfortunately the reality is people do it all the time,

Also what happens when they get sick for a bit of time and run out of TP? Where do they have, in that condition, to clean themselves? Hopefully there will be a place they can reach downstream of where most collect water. It's a rough situation.

[mountain squid]

Great tips, info and links everyone! It is also helpful to hear experiences from last years hikers. Keep the advice and helpful tips coming!

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[squeezebox]

An excellent point someone made that the filters, Sawyer etc, will not filter virus so aqua mur if possible
More likely it's person to person. Or person to surface, washing pots with soap or heating to dry would not hurt.
Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands

[ChinMusic]

Along with using the same water sources. And that may be more of the reason locals don't seem to have come down with it as much as thru's (your above post). They are not sharing these things, i.e. they are bringing their own water on day hikes, especial when they know that this is going around. So I'm not so sure it is because they have developed some local immunity.

Norovirus may have been plucked out of a local water source. That would explain why this area seems to be ground zero for so many years. It is certainly not spread via water though. Those of us that treat with chemical or UV wouild kill the virus. I am confident my water was virus-free and still got sick.

[Colter]

I don't disagree at all, I just want to point out that I don't think there was any evidence that the noro was being spread by water sources...

I doubt any cases were proven to come from a specific source such as "an infected person, contaminated food or water, or contaminated surface," yet it is known that they are all ways the virus can be spread.

As I frequently point out, treating water vs washing hands is a false choice.

METHODS:

In a prospective surveillance study, 334 persons who hiked the Appalachian Trail for at least 7 days (mean [+/- SD] length of hike, 140 +/- 60 days) in 1997 were interviewed. At the end of their hike, subjects completed a questionnaire on injuries, illnesses, water purification methods, and hygiene practices...

CONCLUSION: Diarrhea is the most common illness limiting long-distance hikers. Hikers should purify water routinely, avoiding using untreated surface water. The risk of gastrointestinal illness can also be reduced by maintaining personal hygiene practices and cleaning cookware.

[Sly]

On a shelter check day trip last April, there was a sick hiker at Jerry's Cabin shelter. While waiting for a SAR evac, I drank untreated water from the piped spring there and cleaned up litter in the shelter. I also brought a spray bottle w/50/50% bleach and water and spayed the shelter and privy.

Just bleach and water isn't as effective as adding a little TSP or dish detergent which acts as a wetting agent.

[Cro-Mag]

Great advice everyone! Please keep in mind that while most hikers got sick between Hot Springs and Erwin, there were many people sick much earlier on. My hiker buddy got sick at the shelter right after the NOC. She got sick on her sleeping bag, in a full shelter, in freezing temps...what other option did we have but to share a tent and a sleeping bag. Needless to say, I got sick 4 days later at the Fontana Hilton. This was late March, if anyone wanted to know.

All I can say about the virus is that one second you're feeling good, the next second you're feeling kind of strange and the next second you are covering the fallen leaves with the force of a fire hose from your stomach. I was physically sick for about 12 hours, but it took me 5 days to get back to strength. Just keep that in mind if you are near a town. You might not be hiking the same miles you were a few days ago and you do not want to run out of food.

[The Cleaner]

IMO lots of hikers do no wash their cooking pots, cups or spoons enough or correctly when they do. Probably #1 reason for not even cooking in pots. Many use freezer bag or freeze dried foods or just go no stove. One needs to heat a little water, add some extra cold water and your choice camp soap ( I use Dr. Bronner's). Scrub with something then rinse with boiling water. This last step is rarely done because you need to heat more water and most thru hikers just can't (or won't) do this because of fuel usage. I've seen some eat a freeze dried dinner, then lick their spoon clean and put it away. Several years ago I saw a young woman with 3 dogs, cook something in a pot then when she finished eating she let her dogs lick the pot "clean". Then she wiped it with a used bandana and put them away. Seems like it's just too much trouble to do something right and many hikers their main concern is making miles. It's all HYOH these days, so do as you want, but no matter how you get sick it's no fun and could be one reason some ended their hike sooner than planned...

[ChinMusic]

All I can say about the virus is that one second you're feeling good, the next second you're feeling kind of strange and the next second you are covering the fallen leaves with the force of a fire hose from your stomach. I was physically sick for about 12 hours, but it took me 5 days to get back to strength. Just keep that in mind if you are near a town. You might not be hiking the same miles you were a few days ago and you do not want to run out of food.

Hit me that fast too. I was lucky to be in a motel room in Erwin when it hit. It would have been horrible in the field. I took a couple days off and got back to normal miles a couple days later.

[Hot Flash]

By the way Hydrogen peroxide wipes kill noro as well if not better than bleach and are not hard to find. They can be repackaged into a zip lock bag.

Just remember that once H2O2 is exposed to air, it rapidly loses effectiveness. It has about a 30-day shelf life once the packet or bottle is opened.

[theinfamousj]

Also what happens when they get sick for a bit of time and run out of TP? Where do they have, in that condition, to clean themselves?

Leaves... Plenty of those around.

Moss.

Smooth rocks.

Snow if it is that time of year.

These are all things I have wiped with.

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[HikerMom58]

Bump.... Class of 2014 is interested in staying informed on this subject on their FB page. :>)

[Slo-go'en]

There is apparently a "super bug" version of the Norovirus going around this winter. ABC had a news story about it earlier in December. Pretty scary stuff, pray it doesn't show up on the trail!

[theinfamousj]

Just (well, yesterday) got over super bug norovirus and asked myself if I could have hiked with it. Answer: easy zero of tent already pitched.

From what my med professional tells me, the designation of super bug comes from being very contagious, but not very difficult. Had symptoms for less than 12 hours. When I had e. Coli food poisoning, it was a full 24.

YMMV.

Source of Contact: Durham, NC, on or around Christmas.

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[squeezebox]

Isolation !! sleep in your tent , not the shelter. don't use the privy, get someone to collect water for you, don't foul the water source. If you are out in the woods, where I would think there are more germs than at home, jammed together in a shelter, it's a reason to be cleaner than at home. Wash everything you touch, including yourself.

[mhaddon]

Just (well, yesterday) got over super bug norovirus and asked myself if I could have hiked with it. Answer: easy zero of tent already pitched.

From what my med professional tells me, the designation of super bug comes from being very contagious, but not very difficult. Had symptoms for less than 12 hours. When I had e. Coli food poisoning, it was a full 24.

YMMV.

Source of Contact: Durham, NC, on or around Christmas.

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You did better than I did. I had a mild fever and aches with mine. So bad it took me three days to get my strength back. Now then, I had my four kids get it first so I was tired by the time it hit. I'm pretty sure that's why it takes longer to recover when your body is already worn down from the miles... something to keep in mind about recovering when it hits and you've been perfectly health vs. worn down. And it didn't seem to last long, but would be brutal outside the comforts of home. I think it's better to take it serious than to blow it off as something that is easy to get over in a day.

[Pedaling Fool]

Just some FYI about norovirus http://www.livescience.com/42944-what-is-norovirus.html

[squeezebox]

Spraying down the shelters and privys with 10% bleach water would be a good thing to do