Here is a scary story. More than 300 people are reporting illness after frolicking at the Great Escape Lodge and Indoor Waterpark. The State Health department is guessing it might be due to Novovirus infections. Several elderly nursing home residents recently died after becoming infected with novovirus.
Don't bother trying to get information on "novoviruses" via google. Novovirus is a recently approved name for a group of viruses that cause gastrointestinal problems, i.e. gastric flu. They include Norwalk-like viruses and Caliciviruses (which include norovirus and sapovirus). However, it seems that the word novovirus is used primarily by the press.
In general, these are single-stranded RNA, non-enveloped viruses of the family Caliciviridae. Novovirus infection infection can result in symptoms of gastroenteritis in as few as 12 hours but more typically between 24 and 48 hours. Typical recovery from illness is in 24-48 hrs but virus continues to be shed even after the illness has resolved. Transmission of the virus is via the fecal-oral route and the virus is highly infectious. These viruses are also relatively resistant to chlorinated water (up to 10 ppm). Hand sanitation is most important for preventing transmission.
Oddly enough, individuals who express the gene FUT2, which encodes the enzyme fucosyltransferase, seem to be susceptible to infection with noroviruses. These individuals are "secretors" of histoblood group antigens (HBGA). A major problem with studying noroviruses is that they cannot be cultured.
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7 comments:
I hate to put things bluntly, and correct me if I'm wrong.
Sounds to me like someone pooped in the water. If the stuff is chlorine resistant and it can't be cultured, what can they do with the water? And what's to prevent that from happening in the future? Is it possible that one 'accident' could/should force them to drain and refill the whole thing?
It's pretty cool to have a real scientist chiming in on this incident. Thanks!
I'm really surprised that this sort of thing doesn't happen more often. When you have a tourist park that caters primarily to kids, it seems almost inevitable that someone 'pooping' in the water or having a leaky diaper is going to happen once in a while.
I've never been to the water park (but I live nearby) but my companion and I came down with this. His worst symptoms were on Saturday; mine on Wednesday. Really bad headache, fever, chills & sweats, aching legs and back, gastrointestinal distress (both ways) fatigue.
He's pretty much back to normal, but I am still achy and fatigued.
Press reports have noted that the water in the water park tested negative for the virus(es).
Suspicion seems to be pointing at the food services on site.
YIKES, glad I missed that one!! But there was a tummy bug going around here as well, everyone in my office got it, but me (fingers crossed after being away all weekend I'm safe)
Laurie -G , I got IT . So much for going home for Vacation!Took it back to Pa. Nice souvenir !!!
My three year old niece got this at the park last week and has been in the hospital for 5 days. I have been told that the reason the park tested negative is because they had already drained the kiddie pool where she was playing. Doctors say she may be able to go home in a couple more days.
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