Dozens of hikers claim to have fallen ill during trips to a popular Arizona tourist destination that features towering blue-green waterfalls deep in a gorge neighboring Grand Canyon National Park.
Madelyn Melchiors, a 32-year-old veterinarian, said she was vomiting severely Monday evening and had a fever that endured for days after camping on the Havasupai reservation.
She eventually hiked out to her car in a weakened state through stiflingly hot weather and was thankful that her pack could be transported up a winding trail several miles by mule, she said.
“I said, ‘If someone can just pack out my 30-pound pack, I think I can just limp along,’” said Melchiors, an experienced and regular backpacker. Afterward, “I slept 16 hours and drank a bunch of electrolytes. I’m still not normal, but I will be OK. I’m grateful for that.”
The federal Indian Health Service said on Thursday that a clinic it oversees on the reservation is providing timely medical attention to people who became ill. Environmental health officers with the regional IHS office were sent to Havasupai to investigate the source of the outbreak and to implement measures to keep it from spreading, the agency said.
“Our priority is the health and well-being of the Havasupai residents and visitors, and we are working closely with local health authorities and other partners to manage this situation effectively,” the agency said in a statement.
While camping, Melchiors said she drank from a spring that is tested and listed as potable, as well as other sources using a gravity-fed filter that screens out bacteria and protozoa – but not viruses.
“I did a pretty good job using hand sanitiser” after going to the bathroom, she said. “It’s not like you can use soap or water easily.”
Coconino County health officials said on Tuesday they received a report from a group of people who hiked to the waterfalls of “gastrointestinal illness” but didn’t know how many people have been affected. The tribe’s land is outside the county’s jurisdiction.
Still, county health spokesperson Trish Lees said hikers should take extra precautions to prevent the spread of illness, including filtering water.
“Watch for early symptoms of norovirus, such as stomach pain and nausea, before the trip. Norovirus spreads easily on camping trips, especially when clean water supplies can…
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