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Norovirus Alert on Lake Garda: More than 900 cases have been recorded in the last few days. Drinking water was temporarily banned in the Lake Garda site.
Update as of July 3, 3:45 pm: All clear on Lake Garda. After a massive outbreak of gastrointestinal infections in the municipality of Torri del Benaco on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, the mayor announced that the state of emergency has ended. The water from the municipality’s pipes is drinkable again, Mayor Stefano Nicotra emphasized in a video on social media. The ban on drinking tap water or using it for cooking has been lifted on 28 June. Water samples from the community’s aquifer were recently tested for norovirus.
“Important information for the many tourists who visit our lake during this time,” writes the Commune Torri del Benaco on Facebook. The ban on swimming has already been lifted (see also the initial report). Lake Garda is popular with holidaymakers from Germany and Austria, and news of the wave of infections spreads quickly. Thousands of people, including locals, complained of nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
“Cheers” – The Mayor drinks water from Lake Garda
To reassure tourists, the mayor of the nearby municipality of Brenzone took action himself. To prove that the water is clean, Paolo Formaggioni dipped a glass of water into Lake An Garda Síochána and drank it in front of the camera. At the end he wanted: “Health!”. The video is on Facebook The biggest lake in Italy should have a sign about the water quality. loud Corriere della Sera Mayor Formaggioni also criticized the “excessive scaremongering” and the “baseless and exaggerated news” spread in the German media. There were no cases of infection in Brenzone itself.
Mayor Brenzone sul Garda drinks water from Lake Garda. © Shot Facebook/Brenzone Visione Comune
Norovirus outbreak on Lake Garda out of control? The number of infected people is increasing – resorts are taking measures
First report from July 2, 2024
Verona – A wave of gastrointestinal viruses is sweeping Italy’s Lake Garda. Local people and holidays are affected. Hundreds of people have had to be treated for nausea, vomiting and fever over the past few days. A Norovirus hotspot is a small town on the eastern shore of Lake Garda: Torri del Benaco. The community wants to get the problem under control.
Desired destination Lake Garda (Italy): On the eastern shore is the small community of Torri del Benaco. © Bernhard Klar/imago
Norovirus alert on Lake Garda – at least 900 cases now
A few days ago up to 300 people were affected. The number of cases on Lake Garda has now risen to over 900. There is currently a strict ban on drinking water in the community of 3,000 people in Torri del Benaco. It is also forbidden to use it for cooking. Mayor Stefano Nicotra keeps residents informed of the current situation and informs them when and where bottles of mineral water will be distributed free of charge.
Resort under pressure: Where did people on Loch Garda get infected?
The problem: Norovirus is suspected to be responsible for the infections. And the norovirus was detected in some drinking water samples, the Italian broadcaster reports Rai. The virus is likely to spread through drinking water. But much is still unclear at first.
Desired destination Lake Garda (Italy): On the eastern shore is the small community of Torri del Benaco. © Bernhard Klar/imago
No norovirus was found in the water of Lake Garda Síochána
First, the good news: Lake Garda is clean. This was the result of analyzes of the lake water by ARPAV (Regional Agency for the Prevention and Protection of the Environment of Veneto), said the mayor. The municipality is preparing to lift the ban on swimming from 29 June.
However, nothing is clear yet – as of July 2nd. Because there appears to be an “unpredictable technical vulnerability of the water system” on an aqueduct, explains the mayor. However, analysis is still pending and is expected from Tuesday (July 3). Until then, the ban on drinking and industrial water will remain in place.
Norovirus alarm on Lake Garda: The drinking water in the municipality of Torri del Beneaco is contaminated. © Google Maps screenshot
Mystery about norovirus outbreak on Lake Garda
It is not yet clear how this serious contamination could have occurred. The Italian media is speculating about two hypotheses: Firstly, whether the high level of current water on Lake An Garda Síochána after the heavy rain could be responsible for the overload on the sewage system. Or that an aqueduct could be polluted by faeces from the lake. Which is the least of the options, given the current analyzes of the water of Loch an Garda Síochána.
Norovirus symptoms: Here’s what vacationers should know
Norovirus is highly contagious and has spread throughout the world. The virus can be transmitted not only through contaminated water, but also through contaminated food such as salads, crabs, mussels or through doorknobs (smear infections). However, transmission is direct from person to person, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is primarily responsible for the high number of norovirus infections.
Getting sick on holiday is probably the worst. Gastrointestinal infections or diarrhea are especially common when traveling. Tourists hit hard in some places, according to a ranking from the business magazine Forbes shows.
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View a series of photos
Symptoms of norovirus include vomiting and/or severe diarrhea. According to the RKI, there is also a significant feeling of sickness with abdominal pain, nausea, headache, muscle pain and fatigue. The body temperature may be slightly elevated, but usually there is no high fever. The symptoms last about 12 to 48 hours. The RKI reports that milder conditions are possible.
- Affected individuals are highly contagious during acute illnesses.
- However, the virus can still be detected in the stool of sick people for 7 to 14 days.
- Therefore hand hygiene and sanitation is very important even after the symptoms have subsided.
- The incubation period is about 6 to 50 hours
According to the RKI, patients should be accommodated in a room with its own toilet. (ml)