Dozens of people are contracting a highly contagious stomach virus along a popular hiking trail in California, including one man who got so ill he needed to be airlifted off of the trail for treatment.
Since early May, there have been about two dozen hikers along a section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) outside of Los Angeles, according to multiple local reports.
The virus behind the outbreak has yet to be confirmed with lab testing, but it is suspected to be caused by norovirus, widely known as the common ‘stomach bug.’
The Pacific Crest Trail spans 2,650 miles from the US-Mexico border in California to the US-Canada border in Washington state, with about 1,700 of those miles being in California.
It’s unclear exactly how many people have been sickened and how the illnesses occurred, but recreationists in remote outdoor areas can be vulnerable to bugs like norovirus due to a lack of sanitation.
Norovirus spreads through direct contact with infected people and contaminated surfaces, and handwashing is the most effective tool in killing it.
The Pacific Crest Trail Association said on Wednesday it ‘is aware of reports of gastrointestinal illness in the Wrightwood area,’ which is roughly 76 miles outside of Los Angeles.
‘We are working with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health as they assess the situation,’ the statement continued. ‘We intend to share information publicly as soon as it is available.’
At least two dozen people have been sickened with ‘gastrointestinal illness’ along a section of the Pacific Crest Trail (pictured in the above stock image)
Members of the PCT community told SFGate that the first reports of sickened hikers emerged around May 8. They said hikers who were taken to urgent care in nearby Hesperia and Victorville were told by staff that they had norovirus.
People hiking with them claimed to have later developed symptoms.
Ron Hals, a 73-year-old retiree from Fort Bragg, California, told SFGATE that on May 14, shortly after settling into camp along the trail, he became violently ill.
‘I’ve never been that weak,’ he said, adding that he struggled just to stand and move away from his tent. ‘When I finally managed to fall asleep the next morning, I didn’t even take my shoes off or cover myself with a blanket.’
Other hikers in the area called local dispatch to report Hals’ condition, and a search and rescue team rappelled down from a helicopter.
‘My emotions were very much on the surface, and I admit that I cried because I didn’t want to go,’ he said.
‘But I knew that these people had risked their lives to come find me, and I couldn’t just tell them to go away.’
Hals was flown to a medical center in Lancaster and was diagnosed with norovirus. He later went to a motel in town to recover.
Some experts and hikers believe some cases in the outbreak may be linked to a water cache in Swarthout Valley between Cajon Pass and Mount Baden-Powell, SFGATE reported.
Hals said he suspects he caught the virus in Wrightwood while resupplying.
The above graphic shows the length of the Pacific Crest Trail. It spans about 2,650 miles from the US-Mexico border in California to the US-Canada border in Washington state
Norovirus causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, infecting millions of Americans every year (stock image)
It causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, which can lead to life-threatening dehydration. It spreads through contact with germs from an infected person’s vomit or feces, contaminated food, shared utensils, or surfaces they’ve touched.
While most people recover within a few days, the virus kills around 900 people every year, mostly adults 65 and up.
Outbreaks are most common in the winter due to a jump in the number of people gathering in groups, traveling, and crowding indoors, where pathogens can spread easily.
Symptoms of norovirus, which include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting so forceful it can cause rib fractures, typically develop within 12 to 48 hours of exposure.
Dehydration is a major concern. Frequent vomiting and diarrhea can quickly cause the body to lose fluids and electrolytes, which can lead to dangerously low blood pressure, reduced blood flow to vital organs, and an electrolyte imbalance that may harm the heart and muscles.
Electrolyte imbalances can also result in seizures and, in some cases, loss of consciousness.
Hand sanitizers alone cannot kill norovirus particles on the skin, which is why doctors strongly recommend washing one’s hands often.
