Official health survey related to gastrointestinal illness on the PCT in the Big Bear region

https://www.pcta.org/2024/health-survey-big-bear-pct-93979/

Selected excerpt:

The San Bernardino County Department of Public Health has asked us to share a health survey related to reports of gastrointestinal illness on or near the PCT in the Big Bear region starting around the week of April 29th, 2024. If you have hiked the PCT in the area during that time, please fill out this survey so health officials can work to identify the source of the infection. Both ill and not ill individuals are asked to fill out the survey as it may contribute in narrowing down the pathogen and/or source.

For the purposes of this survey, the Pacific Crest Trail Big Bear region is defined as Interstate 10 (Mile 209) to Interstate 15 (Mile 342).

in PacificCrestTrailby danceswithsteersNOBO (Thru turned Section hiker) 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023

98%

25d

gooeyfishus

25d

You beat me to posting this. This is an official PCTA survey and more data is useful! Please pass this along to others on trail.

If you have hiked the PCT in the area during that time, please fill out this survey so health officials can work to identify the source of the infection.

fugglenuts

25d

Filled it out.

Literally the most painful night of my life. It was in the 20s. I had no time to put socks and shoes on. Started shitting my brains out just after midnight. Ran out of tp. Had to use my drawers. Then I crawled back into my tent freezing half to death only to puke in my vestibule for the next 2 hours. Took a full day to warm up. Fun times.

timberhikes

24d

protip: DO NOT stick your hand in other people's food or allow them to do the same. If someone wants to share a bag of sourpatch, pour a portion out into their hand. saw so many people get noro this way from the AT

ORCHWA01DS0

Past the traffic, past the buildings, there's a trail somewhere.

24d

Moral of the story: WASH YOUR GODDAMN HANDS, PEOPLE!!! THERE'S NO EXCUSE!!! Forget the sanitiser gels!

User deleted comment

25d

danceswithsteers

NOBO (Thru turned Section hiker) 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023

24d

I think this survey is part of finding out whether it's been noro or something else. (I read about red algae present in the area. And its toxins apparently can be the same symptoms as for noro.)

User deleted comment

24d

danceswithsteers

NOBO (Thru turned Section hiker) 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023

24d

According to what I remember from gear skeptic's videos, no. You'd need activated charcoal.

ndavis1618

21d

Filters alone won't work because toxins are small molecules- small enough to pass straight through a filter. https://www.msrgear.com/blog/what-hikers-should-know-about-toxic-algae-blooms/ If you must drink algae-laden water, combo of first filtering and then chlorinating might inactivate the toxins. But all small molecules are different, chlorine might only inactivate some types of toxins, or only partially inactivate them... PS for accuracy's sake, my understanding is that red algae are more of a marine thing (red tide). With freshwater, usually it's blue-green algae and their cyanotoxins that make you sick. Still, if you see a lot of algae of any color, be cautious.

hugmytreezhang

23d

I've just got big bear today and didn't see or hear of anyone sick on trail around me, everyone had heard the news and has been using soap for hand washing, avoiding toilets or picnic tables etc, and using aquamira as well as filtering, so this may have helped

posborne

22d

I'm big bear right now as well from 275, everyone has been careful but most were drinking from mission creek as well (with secondary chemical purification), myself included.

Will be interesting to see if there is ever any conclusion on the outbreak provided. Not sure if the got samples from any of the sick hikers to confirm the illness.

thesleepingdog

24d

That sounds exactly like stories of a noro outbreak when I hiked the AT in '12.

I spent 2 days laying halfway out of my tent on a grassy hill in Tennessee, vomiting over and over, and just praying I wouldnt get trampled by cattle if I passed out. Absolutely brutal, and the stories I heard from others were worse.

sbhikes

20d

Wow in 2018 I got giardia from a section hike in that area. I got tested by dept of public health.

abelhaborboleta

We went through about a week later and no one got sick. We avoided water from Mission Creek, used both filters and Aquatabs/bleach, and no one touched any picnic table/pit toilet/cabin. We tried to cover all the bases, but we were just lucky. Thanks to everyone who posted about what worked/didn't for them. That really helped. Sorry to everyone who got sick. Walking through (and smelling) Arrastre campsite, I felt for you.

Icy_Policy_5675

Last year I didn’t hear anything about this just the usual warnings. This year we section hiked the AT and ended up catching it…. Throwing up and diarrhea for almost a week straight. Great times!