Norovirus heads north

@malayangIsip, best is to keep an eye on DOC's alerts page and follow what advice they offer. http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/know-before-you-go/alerts/

There is a genetic configuration that offers protection against Noro. Unfortunately I haven't got it... 23andme.com does the genetic analysis. We get outbreaks all the time at Chch Hospital but I think I've only heard of one of our phlebotomy staff picking it up as we are vigilant with our technique. Said phlebotomist has had it a couple of times I think and she was meticulous at home with insisting on cleaning the toilet herself after use. No one else in her household picked it up from her.

""A gastro bug outbreak on a popular tramping track near Nelson appears to be over, the Department of Conservation says. DOC Nelson Lakes operations manager John Wotherspoon said the norovirus outbreak on the Travers-Sabine Circuit, an 80-kilometre tramping trail in Nelson Lakes National Park, had been contained. There have been no reported cases of the viral infection since January 8, he said on Tuesday. John Tait Hut in the Travers Valley, Nelson Lakes National Park, was one of 12 huts disinfected by DOC staff.(pic) "I'm pleased to welcome people back to the Travers-Sabine Circuit.""" http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/88499479/Norovirus-outbreak-in-Nelson-Lakes-National-Park-contained-DOC-says Alerts are still posted on the DoC web pages tho.

I've just come back from an 8 day trip through Kahurangi staying at Mt Arthur Hut, Salisbury Lodge, Trilobite Hut, and Fenella Hut. We didn't catch anything although we were extremely careful about hygiene at the first two huts. Must admit that I was a bit nervous about staying in the huts after reports of people getting sick at Mt Arthur Hut. A couple of nights before we got to Salisbury a 12 year old had been sick, but it appeared that he had come directly from Nelson Lakes. The hut warden had the lovely job of cleaning/disinfecting all the benches, mattresses etc.

interesting that doc were actively advising people to avoid northern south island tracks during the outbreak... they cant stop people from going, but they would have preferred people stopped entering the parks to reduce further contamination during the peak tramping season... the fiordland great walk huts have had alcohol hand sanitizer in them for years, from what i'm reading you still need to scrub with soap to remove the virus from your hands, theres claims hand sanitiser doesnt work but i'm not clear if those comments are about non alcohol hand sanitizer, alcohol is pretty effective against viruses, but norovirus can survive stomach acid, hence you have to be pretty thorough in disinfecting to kill it...

Alcohol based hand sanitizes are ineffective against Norovirus. You need to wash thoroughly with soapy water which removes the pathogens from your hands (it doesn't kill them, just takes them away). Alcohol kills pathogens (as opposed to removing them), but the problem with Norovirus is it is both resistant to alcohol (requires higher concentration alcohol solutions then the typical ~60%v/v concentrations which most hand sanitizes are), and highly contagious... you only need a handful of individual virus to become infected. Fiordland GW huts probably use alcohol sanitizes as they are simpler to use... squirt some on and rub it in and you are done. People are lazy. Using soap properly involves scrubbing, rinsing and hand drying... lazy people wont do it properly which results in potential infection in high use facilities like a GW hut.

Just been through from St Arnaud to the Boyle,with the DOC clean up crew barely off the ground.We had tents anyway & expected to use them.We carried half a chemist shop,electrolytes,water tabs & sanitizer.In the end,we used the huts as they were available & you`ve never seen such cleanliness-squeaky clean.We practiced good hygiene,usually using the DOC supplied liquid soap. Like the weather,prepare for the worst & take what comes. Good luck if you`re going tramping in this fab area;just do it.

This may sound dorky but a fellow tramper advised singing the song,`happy birthday to you...` as a time parameter while you`re washing your hands with soap.That way,you get a proper wash & don`t just move the bugs around your paws.One problem with this Martha Stewart type advice is that once you start singing it,even under your breath,it`s flaming` hard to get outa` the habit!

Maybe. But it's sound advice for measuring wash time. Also, drying hands properly afterwards.

I wonder if white spirits would kill norovirus.