GA, NC, TN – Norovirus Alert UPDATED 3/27/24

Georgia
Hiking Safety

Alert

03/27/2024

Update: The National Park Service has updated their GI Illness alert to a Norovirus Alert and expanded the alert areas along the Appalachian Trail to now include Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. While most people recover within 1-3 days, there have been serious cases on the A.T. requiring evacuation from the Trail and hospitalization.

In addition to the precautions outlined below, hikers should also avoid commonly touched surfaces such as other hiker’s gear, shelter logbooks, and privy door handles. Consider carrying bleach wipes to clean common surfaces before touching them, such as bear boxes/cables. Read the full alert here.

Please note that many backcountry water filters do not remove norovirus from water. See the CDC poster below for more information about proper backcountry water treatment.

Click the image to expand and download a printable version

—

03/22/2024

Update: The National Park Service has issued a Gastrointestinal Illness Alert for the Appalachian Trail in Georgia and Tennessee. Hikers should exercise caution and take the steps outlined in the poster below to prevent contracting and spreading suspected norovirus. Learn more tips for staying healthy here and report cases of stomach bug/norovirus to local health departments and stomachbug@appalachiantrail.org.

 

—

03/20/2024

Stomach bug cases have been reported on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in Georgia. Hikers are reminded to practice good hygiene on the Trail.

Take the following steps to prevent contracting and spreading the illness:

  • Do not eat out of the same food bag, share utensils, or drink from other hikers’ water bottles.
  • Wash your hands with biodegradable soap (200 feet from water sources) before eating or preparing food and after toileting.
  • Be aware that alcohol-based sanitizer may be ineffective against norovirus. Washing hands with soap and water is best.
  • Treat all water. To learn best how to treat your water, click here for information from the CDC.
  • Follow Leave No Trace guidelines for disposing of human waste.
  • If you experience stomach bug symptoms, limit contact with others and avoid preparing food for others when sick and for two to three days after symptoms stop.
  • If you get sick, seek medical treatment in town, especially if you become dehydrated or your sickness lasts more than a few days.

Learn more here. Report suspected cases of norovirus to the local health department and to ATC at stomachbug@appalachiantrail.org.

Share
Back