The Grand Canyon in Arizona and is home to one of the most splendid examples of wearing away incur anywhere in the world . But now allot to arecent reputation , it is also home to a GI illness that has been devastating over 150 back - country campers and individual and river rafter so far this class .

The illness has symptom that are consistent with norovirus , admit nausea , abdomen cramping / nuisance , vomiting , and looseness . Norovirus has beenconfirmedin at least eight raft trip .

The National Park Service has been operate with the Coconino County Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) to monitor and investigate the post . Since other June , there have been comprehensive control measures that have seen a decrement in report of the illness .

Norovirusis a very transmissible disease and outbreak are vernacular , although typically it is not life - sinister . The virus normally spread through contaminated food and surfaces and also from infected people to others . Unfortunately for the Grand Canyon visitors , the norovirus can diffuse easily on rafts and in camps – due to people being all squish up in communal areas and on group trips , and a want of easily accessible washing deftness .

contagion with this virus is not a pleasant experience , especially on a camping ground when you are far away from shiny , washable modern pot that have the comfort needed when your consistency is being violently flushed out from both ending . Symptoms also tend to last around 1 - 3 days .

Due to this , the National Park Service recommends that hoi polloi who have been ill in the last 72 hr do not bring together chemical group trips , and anyone who does become sick during a slip should prove and minimize interactions between goodish and ill hoi polloi .

Also , the great unwashed should try and head off touching and sharing food and drinks , and putting their hands into shared food sources ( which should be a general lifespan dominion for keep off most sickness ) .

Another recommendation should be very familiar after the pandemic . WASH YOUR HANDS . Get those hired man decent and sudsy and vigorously scrub a dub dub them clean . efficient hand washing with soap and water is best at removing norovirus subatomic particle . In a tweak , hand sanitizers can be used with at least 70 percentage alcoholic drink , but as always it is never as in effect as handwash .

A biggie when it comes to the bar of this disease is piddle treatment . The green recommends filtering and chemically disinfect all water – as filtering alone will not remove the nasty virus particles . If this is n’t useable , it is recommend that water should be stir up to a nice rolling boil for one moment . body of water in the park is safe to consume from park - provide fountain and spigots , but not from the tranquil water features such as flow , falls , and pools that are come up throughout the canyon .

If you do get mystify in the wild with no accession to the designated throne area , then all human trunk thriftlessness ( yes that includes vomit and poop ) should be contain in a portable toilet or a specifically engineer containment system .

The norovirus is not often a life - endanger illness . However , the canyon can be physically demanding and when combined with uttermost heat energy , the virus can cause severe dehydration , which can be very dangerous .

There have been no reports of deaths , but there have been a few infect hikers beingrescuedby helicopter . Despite this , case reports have beenslowing down , but hiker and tourists should still be vigilant .