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FILE: Hikers heading south descend from Mather Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail in Kings Canyon National Park, Calif.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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An outbreak of the highly contagious norovirus seemingly has sickened dozens of hikers along the Pacific Crest Trail near Los Angeles, leading to at least one air rescue and prompting rural communities to take precautions aimed at preserving public health.<\/p>\n
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Norovirus is a common and contagious<\/a> virus that accounts for most foodborne illnesses in the United States. People with the virus may experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which can in turn lead to severe dehydration. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected sources \u2014 which can include bodily fluids from ill people but also contaminated surfaces or foods and beverages \u2014 and unlike some viruses, norovirus cannot be reliably killed using hand sanitizer. Instead, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends<\/a> washing hands frequently with soap and water and cleaning surfaces with bleach.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Cases of the virus typically peak between November and April in the northern hemisphere, yet in the past week, dozens of people<\/a> have fallen ill in the area around Wrightwood, California, roughly an hour\u2019s drive from downtown Los Angeles. The virus appears to be spreading among hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail<\/a>, a long-distance trek spanning 2,650 miles from the Mexican border in California to the Canadian border in Washington. Outdoor recreationists in remote areas can be\u00a0particularly susceptible<\/a> when they lack appropriate sanitation; hikers along the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail weathered a norovirus outbreak<\/a> last summer, while a 2022\u00a0outbreak<\/a> sickened at least 222 people in Grand Canyon National Park.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNorovirus is like the cockroach of viruses,\u201d Noelle Harrison, a retired public health educator and hiker in Dunsmuir,\u00a0told SFGATE. \u201cIt\u2019s almost impossible to kill, and if you end up getting sick in really remote areas, some of its more severe symptoms can put you in a really bad place.\u201d<\/p>\n Members of the PCT community with whom\u00a0SFGATE connected\u00a0through Reddit said that reports of sick hikers first began to emerge around May 8. While many healthcare facilities do not test for\u00a0norovirus, hikers who were taken to urgent care in Hesperia and Victorville were told by staff there that they had norovirus, and people hiking with them later developed symptoms. In total, roughly two dozen hikers have reported symptoms, and at least seven of those have received a confirmed diagnosis.<\/p>\n FILE: A hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail passes signs near Red\u2019s Meadow Resort & Pack Station, in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.\u00a0<\/p>\n Allen J. Schaben\/LA Times via Getty <\/p>\n Ron\u00a0Hals, a 73 year-old retiree from Fort Bragg, is one of them. Hals decided to hike the first 1,000 miles of the trail as a personal challenge after his wife died. Prior to starting the PCT, he had only completed a handful of multiday backpacking trips, Hals told SFGATE. When he began, he wasn\u2019t sure how far he\u2019d make it, but by the time he reached the area around Wrightwood in mid-May, Hals had already hiked more than 370 miles over several weeks and was feeling strong.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n On the evening of May 14, however, shortly after settling into his camp for the night, Hals became violently ill. \u201cI\u2019ve never been that weak,\u201d he told SFGATE, adding that within an hour or so, he struggled just to stand and move away from his tent to be sick. \u201cWhen I finally managed to fall asleep the next morning, I didn\u2019t even take my shoes off or cover myself with a blanket.\u201d<\/p>\n Hals called 911 that morning not for a rescue but to ask what he needed to do to recover. After other hikers independently called in Hals\u2019\u00a0condition to local dispatch, though, search and rescue was deployed to his location. A man rappelled in from a helicopter, and while Hals was adamant he didn\u2019t require a rescue, he was left with little choice.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cMy emotions were very much on the surface, and I admit that I cried because I didn\u2019t want to go,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I knew that these people had risked their lives to come find me, and I couldn\u2019t just tell them to go away.\u201d<\/p>\n FILE: A hiker heading south on the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail crosses the Woods Creek suspension bridge in Kings Canyon National Park, Calif.<\/p>\n David Madison\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Hals\u00a0was flown to a nearby medical facility in Lancaster, where he was diagnosed with norovirus and held for a few hours before being released. The search and rescue team hadn\u2019t allowed him to retrieve his supplies, which may be contaminated, so Hals landed on the street with few belongings and no idea what town he was in. \u201cI had my wallet and my phone, but no coat, and my shirt was covered in sick,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unable to walk down the street, Hals hired a driver to take him to a motel in town, where he has been recovering for the past few days as he coordinates the return of his gear. His plan moving forward, he says, is to return to Fort Bragg for a few weeks before attempting to finish his journey. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be done,\u201d he told\u00a0SFAGTE. \u201cI wanted adventure in my old age, and it certainly has been that.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear where the outbreak may have started, but some cases appear to be linked to a water cache in Swarthout Valley between Cajon Pass and Mount Baden-Powell. At the cache, \u201ctrail angels\u201d support hikers by leaving water and other resources. Trail angels and other hikers reported seeing two people camped near the cache on May 10 and May 11 and showing symptoms consistent with the virus. As of May 13, volunteers replaced the containers there with sealed water bottles and have asked hikers to separate used bottles from clean ones.\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott David Matheson, one of the volunteers who swapped out the bottles, told SFGATE that the origin may stretch farther south, however, as the two hikers seemingly arrived at the cache already ill. Assuming a 48-hour incubation period, that would place the hikers\u2019 infection somewhere near\u00a0Deep Creek<\/a>, closer to Big Bear.<\/p>\n Francis Delapaz, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, told\u00a0SFGATE in an emailed statement that the department is aware of one case reported on May 18, but that at this time, the department \u201cdoes not have evidence of a confirmed increase or cluster of\u00a0norovirus cases in the Wrightwood area beyond what would typically be expected.\u201d Still, they plan to continue monitoring for and responding to suspected outbreaks.<\/p>\n Regardless of where the cases began, Hals has begun to suspect he caught the virus in Wrightwood while he was resupplying. Now, local businesses \u2014 including the hardware store and grocery store \u2014 have been wiping down surfaces, staff tell\u00a0SFGATE, and one company that provides shuttle services to PCT hikers noted<\/a> that it always cleans its vans daily.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n FILE: Hikers heading south walk toward Pinchot Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail in Kings Canyon National Park, Calif.<\/p>\n David Madison\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Teri Okarma serves as a hiker minister at Angeles Crest Christian Camp<\/a> with her husband, and the pair have welcomed hundreds of hikers each season over the past three years, providing them with accommodations, showers, laundry, Wi-Fi\u00a0and other amenities. It\u2019s always been a joy having them pass through, Okarma tells SFGATE, but out of an abundance of caution, they\u2019ve decided to close the camp<\/a> to hikers until May 24.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to be considerate of our staff, many of whom live out here,\u201d Okarma said, adding that even as the camp has had to turn hikers away, they\u2019ve still helped coordinate assistance<\/a> for Hals and others needing help getting off the trail. \u201cWe hope to be able to open up again to hikers in the next few days, if things seem safe.\u201d<\/p>\n Stay informed, and entertained.<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Pacific Crest Trail Association, a nonprofit that maintains and advocates for the trail, similarly told\u00a0SFGATE that the group is aware of the outbreak and working to help hikers in need, including by coordinating with public health officials.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe are monitoring the situation and have worked with public health officials in the past to share official health notices. So far, we have not been contacted by local health officials regarding this matter, but we are available to support them in messaging to PCT communities,\u201d Chris\u00a0Rylee, the director of communications, said in a statement. \u201cIllnesses like norovirus or other communicable diseases are serious issues, people should prioritize their health and safety. We sincerely wish for all affected hikers a speedy recovery and the chance to get back to the trail.\u201d<\/p>\n This news story has been updated.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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