Hundreds of hikers hit by stomach bug on Corsican GR20 trek
Seven people have been hospitalised and the cause is still being investigated
The mountainous hike is a 200km long route that crosses Corsica from north to south
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It is considered to be one of the most challenging hikes in Europe - and that is without the risks of gastrointestinal issues, which have hospitalised seven and affected hundreds on the Corsica G20 route.
The regional health agency the Agence Régionale de Santé (ARS) Corse called for hikers to be “vigilant” to the gastroenteritis epidemic which has so far affected more than 230 people.
The first report was made on July 12, and since then, investigations have been ongoing “to identify the source of this rare situation and limit the occurrence of more cases”, the ARS said. So far, 236 people have been reported sick between July 1 and 15.
The illness has been identified as norovirus, causing severe gastroenteritis for two or three days without further compilations, the agency added.
Seven people were hospitalised for a few days, mainly to prevent dehydration. The symptoms are mainly diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.
‘Stay vigilant’
“Although the epidemic peak has passed, it is crucial to remain vigilant,” said the ARS, as the number of new cases appears to have been dropping over recent days.
Some hikers said they had become so ill that they had to abandon their trek. “I quickly realised that I wasn't going to be able to continue,” said Stéphanie, to France 3 Corse in mid-July.
The starting point of the outbreak has not yet been confirmed, but some online have suggested that a water source at one particular refuge hut may have been the cause. Many hikers stay at the same refuges and huts along the route.
Authorities in the Corsica regional nature park (le parc naturel régional de Corse) also called on hikers to be vigilant, and to filter their water or use decontamination tablets if taking water from natural sources.
Difficult diagonal
The GR 20 is a 200 km-long-distance hiking route that crosses Corsica diagonally, from Calenzana in the north, to Conca in the south. Some of its stages exceed 2,000m in altitude, and the hike is known for being particularly difficult. At the rate of one stage a day, it takes around 15-16 days to complete.
Like some other long-distance European hikes (such as the Camino de Santiago or the Via Francigena), some parts of the trail offer luggage transfer services and fancier hotels - while others require that the hikers carry all of their own baggage and stay in very rustic huts, refuges, or gites.
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