“Half the city has gastrointestinal problems” – massive outbreak of novovirus in Lake Garda

A norovirus outbreak causes excitement in a small town on Lake Garda. Hundreds of people have been affected. Residents inform too late.

Torre del Benaco – Actually, the small town of Torre del Benaco (Italy) travelers with a picturesque city center and the striking Castello Scaligero castle. But this time it’s not just holiday folly on the eastern shores of Lake Garda that spoils the daily lives of the roughly 3,000 residents. The cause is a gastrointestinal virus, which is prevalent among a large portion of the population.

Vomiting, nausea, fever: hundreds in Lake Garda suffer from severe gastrointestinal complaints.

In the past few days, hundreds of people have been hospitalized in Bessierra del Garda with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis, the daily newspaper reported. Republic. Victims suffered from vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps and fever. Authorities concluded that it was no coincidence that so many residents of the small town of Torre del Benaco complained about the complaints.

The culprit was immediately identified: a norovirus, according to media reports, was detected in several stool samples from infected people. how Newspaper writes, at least 200 to 300 hundreds of people are said to have reported severe symptoms, sometimes lasting up to 60 hours. Noroviruses were the cause of several illnesses at a spring festival in Germany a few months ago.

The mayor restricts the use of tap water – the origin of the contamination is unclear

The virus is spread through contaminated water and food. In the case of the city affected by Lake Garda, the origin of the mass explosion is also suspected to be in the water supply. For this reason, Stefano Nicotra, mayor of Torri del Benaco, has already issued a regulation prohibiting the use of potable water for normal use. “Do not use for personal or recreational use until further notice,” Nicotra wrote Facebook.

Residents should use only bottled water and adhere to strict hygiene measures. This includes washing your hands thoroughly and disinfecting surfaces. Chlorine was used to disinfect water pipes as a precaution to prevent the spread of the virus.

However, it is not yet clear where the contamination occurred and is currently subject to laboratory analysis. Among other things, it is suspected that the recent upwelling of Garda Lake may have led to the pollution. Republic. A popular beach on Lake Garda recently had to close due to bacterial contamination.

Mass outbreak of gastrointestinal virus: Residents express dissatisfaction over late warning

Many residents complained that the authorities were delaying in informing them about the contamination. “Why did the authorities wait until today (note: June 28) before alerting us?” That affected resident, Diana A Corriere del Veneto. And: “I’m so angry and don’t feel safe enough. If I hadn’t gone to the pharmacy, I wouldn’t have learned anything.

Another woman who came home with a newborn on Thursday (June 27) reported a similar story. “Fortunately, a neighbor alerted me and I avoided using tap water, but my partner who was at home during those days had diarrhea and nausea,” he says in the regional edition. Corriere della Sera. Some patients report suffering from symptoms for several days. A woman says that her family has been complaining for about ten days.

“We don’t know how to deal with incoming guests” – vacationers are also affected

Guest companies are also dissatisfied: “We inform new guests, but we don’t know how to deal with incoming guests,” says a hotelier. Courier. “The pharmacy says half the people in the town have gastrointestinal problems. We give tourists two bottles of water and recommend not using tap water,” says the operator of another shelter.