[Awclist] [Fwd: RRFW Riverwire - MORE BOATERS FALL SICK]

[Thomas Robey]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	RRFW Riverwire - MORE BOATERS FALL SICK
Date: 	Mon, 15 May 2006 21:13:20 -0600
From: 	Riverwire <riverwire at rrfw.org>
Reply-To: 	<Riverwire at rrfw.org>
Organization: 	River Runners for Wilderness
To: 	Riverwire at rrfw.org



RRFW Riverwire - MORE BOATERS FALL SICK

May 15, 2006

This release courtesy Grand Canyon National Park

National Park Service notified of ill river passengers

Grand Canyon, AZ – Three river concessioners reported cases of 
gastrointestinal illness on three separate river trips on the Colorado 
River within Grand Canyon National Park today. Gastrointestinal illness 
is characterized by vomiting and/or diarrhea and is one of the most 
common illnesses in the United States with an estimated 23 million cases 
per year.

One river concessioner reported gastrointestinal illness in five of their

28 passengers. The trip had launched on May 13 at Lees Ferry and is 
expected off the river at Whitmore Wash on May 28.

The second river concessioner reported six to seven of their 15 
passengers had experienced vomiting. The trip had launched on May 1 and 
is expected off the river at Diamond Creek on May 18.

The third river concessioner reported that six of their 16 passengers 
had gastrointestinal illness. The trip launched from Lees Ferry on May 
12 and will take out at Lake Mead National Recreation Area on May 26.

A case was also reported to the National Park Service on May 5 that 
included five passengers on a commercial trip that had launched from 
Lees Ferry on May 1. The trip ended at Whitmore Wash on May 10. Five of 
their

15 passengers were reported to have had gastrointestinal illness during 
the trip.

The National Park Service and a consultant from the Public Health 
Department are investigating the reports. Samples were taken from the 
first trip that reported illnesses earlier this month. Additional 
samples will be taken based on these latest reports and passengers from 
each of the trips will be interviewed to determine if there were any 
commonalities or inter-related events.

The National Park Service requires both commercial and noncommercial 
river runners to report any gastrointestinal illness that occurs on the 
river at the end of a trip. However, trip leaders are required to report 
gastrointestinal illness within 24 hours if three or more passengers or 
crew experience gastrointestinal illness during a trip. Commercial trip 
leaders are required to notify the concessioner as soon as possible 
using a satellite phone, contacting a National Park Service patrol trip, 
radio or other available means. The concessioner then notifies the 
National Park Service. Noncommercial trip leaders are required to notify 
the National Park Service directly using one of the methods listed 
above. The regulation has proven successful in helping identify clusters 
of illness and the routes of transmission which allows the National Park 
Service and Public Health Department to develop interventions that may 
help slow down the spread of illness in the future.

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