DOZENS OF HIKERS FALL ILL WITH NOROVIRUS, FORCE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF POPULAR HAWAII HIKING TRAIL

“My guts exploding all over that land was not what I wanted to do at all,” one hiker said after she caught the virus and needed to be helicoptered to the hospital

A popular hiking trail in Hawaii has been temporarily closed after dozens of hikers were infected with the highly contagious norovirus.

The Kalalau Trail, located on the island of Kauai at Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park, is famous for challenging hikers and campers with a 22-mile round trip trek complete with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and the island's vibrant foliage.

On Wednesday, Sept. 4, the Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that the trail was officially closed after “numerous campers” in the area had caught norovirus – a fast-spreading illness that causes uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea.

The DOH later announced on Wednesday, Sept. 11 that the Kalalau trail would be shut down until at least Sept. 19. They also launched a survey to get a more accurate headcount of the hikers infected and pinpoint which areas and activities led people to be ill.

One hiker recalled her experience catching norovirus while camping on the trail with her friends during an interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

Danielle Burr, 32, told the outlet that the trail is “one of the most beautiful places in the world. I feel really fortunate to be able to be there, and appreciate and respect that land." The experienced hiker later added that it is “a hiker’s dream. It’s such a special and peaceful place.”

However, members of her group of eight suddenly began to exhibit “violent gastrointestinal symptoms” during their trip at the end of August, and eventually she did too.

“My guts exploding all over that land was not what I wanted to do at all,” she said, noting that she eventually told her boyfriend that she needed to be transported to the hospital. A helicopter came to rescue her and she was later ferried to Wilcox Medical Center in Kauai.

“There was no way I could physically do that trail to get out,” Burr explained. “And I was spreading the virus all over the place, like, I’m a public health risk.”

At least 50 people were sickened from the virus, the outlet reports, and Burr says that number could have been avoided if the campgrounds had cleaner restrooms on the site.

“There was a window of time that people were still hiking in and getting sick. That could have been prevented," she says.

The number of infected hikers could rise after the DOH analyzes the results from each survey. The park has since announced that it is taking serious measures to sanitize each restroom and test water and environmental samples taken from the site.

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Norovirus spreads quickly and in unpleasant ways, PEOPLE previously reported in February.

According to the CDC, “You can get norovirus by accidentally getting tiny particles of feces (poop) or vomit in your mouth from a person infected with norovirus,” and by being exposed to any contaminated water or food.

Infected people can start exhibiting symptoms as early as 12 hours after being exposed, however most symptoms can resolve on their own after a few days. The CDC recommends washing your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds over using hand sanitizer to avoid catching the virus.

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2024-09-18T18:17:07Z dg43tfdfdgfd