NC/TN & VA – Stomach Bug, 4/29/25

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Hiking Safety

Alert

04/29/2025

Stomach bug cases have been reported on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) along the North Carolina/Tennessee border just south and north of the town of Hot Springs, NC, and in Virginia near McAfee Knob. Hikers are reminded to practice good hygiene on the Trail.

Take the following steps to prevent contracting and spreading stomach bugs, norovirus, and other 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 is not effective 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.

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