More than 90 people fall ill from Cowans Gap water
(Fort Loudon) — Norovirus has been confirmed in three people who became ill while swimming at Cowans Gap.
The number of people who became ill after swimming in stream-fed mountain lake the weekend of July 18 and 19 has grown to more than 90.
“It was something brought here by one of the visitors,” park Manager Ryan Donovan said. “We highly suspect someone was sick when they came to the park. Norovirus is highly contagious.” –Ryan Donovan, park manager
“It was something brought here by one of the visitors,” park Manager Ryan Donovan said. “We highly suspect someone was sick when they came to the park. Norovirus is highly contagious.”
When officials closed the Cowans Gap beach on July 22, they suspected 24 cases of norovirus. The gastrointestinal illness is passed from an infected person, contaminated food or water or by touching contaminated surfaces. Symptoms include stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
The virus has been confirmed in samples taken from three visitors, Donovan said.
Norovirus is one of many pathogens that make swimming risky. More than half the U.S. recreational water-associated outbreaks in 2011 and 2012 were caused by Cryptosporidium, a parasite of the gut. During the same time span, Cowans Gap was closed for the season for after E.Coli sickened 16 people, nine of whom were hospitalized. The source of the bacteria was never determined.
The park will begin educating visitors on the importance of personal hygiene, Donovan said:
- If you’re sick, don’t go swimming in the lake. Stay home and get better.
- Change diapers in the comfort station. Changing diapers is prohibited on the beach.
“If come to park, you should not ingest the (lake) water,” Donovan said. “Go home and shower. Anytime you swim in a lake there’s going to be some risk. It’s not a chlorinated pool.”
The park tests its lake water on Monday and Tuesday, he said. The samples has tested negative for pathogens.
“Looking at those tests we’d stay open,” Donovan said. “We’re closed until the Department of Health can complete its investigation. We hope in the next few days to have a better report. We definitely hope to have the beach open before the end of the season.”
The park’s water and sewer systems and the food concession stand have all been tested, and all with negative results.
“It’s pretty clear it was brought from an outside source, and unfortunately people were impacted by that,” Donovan said.
About 13,000 people visited the park during the weekend of July 18-19, Donovan said. With about 100,000 visitors, July is the park’s busiest month.
No so this past weekend, according to Donovan. “Other than the temperature, you’d think it would have been a fall weekend.”
People continue to camp, picnic, boat and fish at the park.
Norovirus is more common to hospitals and nursing homes than lakes, according to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. In the U.S., it accounts for half the outbreaks of food-related illness. More than 90 percent of diarrheal disease outbreaks on cruise ships are caused by norovirus. It’s most common in winter.
In the U.S., norovirus contributes to about 56,000 to 71,000 hospitalizations and 570 to 800 deaths, mostly among young children and the elderly, according to the CDC.
This article comes to us through a partnership between Public Opinion Online and WITF.
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