Norovirus Sickens at Least 24 Pacific Crest Trail Hikers, Triggering 1 Air Rescue
Updated
Updated · VVdailypress.com · May 27
Norovirus Sickens at Least 24 Pacific Crest Trail Hikers, Triggering 1 Air Rescue
10 articles · Updated · VVdailypress.com · May 27
At least 24 hikers fell ill over the past two weeks on the Pacific Crest Trail near Wrightwood, California, with at least one case severe enough to require an air rescue.
Medical staff at urgent care facilities in Hesperia and Victorville identified the illness as norovirus, a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps.
The Pacific Crest Trail Association said the outbreak is centered in the Wrightwood area and urged hikers to wash hands often, treat water and avoid sharing food, utensils or bottles.
Similar trail outbreaks have hit other major hiking destinations, including the Appalachian Trail last summer and Grand Canyon National Park in 2022, where at least 222 people were sickened.
CDC estimates norovirus causes 19 million to 21 million U.S. illnesses a year, with outbreaks reported nationwide and seasonal surges most common from November through April.
Is the social culture of thru-hiking, not just a water cache, the real cause of the norovirus outbreak?
As outbreaks hit remote trails, should wilderness management now include permanent public health infrastructure?