State agencies issue survey to Nāpali Coast park visitors following norovirus outbreak

Following a breakout of the highly contagious norovirus in the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park on Kaua‘i, state agencies have launched a survey directed to all visitors who visited the park between July 1 and Sept. 4.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health, in coordination with the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of State Parks, are distributing a link to the survey via email and social media. The survey also is available here.

The survey will help the Department of Health identify cases of norovirus that may not have been reported. It will allow also allow the Department of Health to identify activities and/or locations that are associated with a higher risk of becoming ill, by gathering information from visitors who did not become sick as well as those who did become sick.

Survey responses will be kept confidential. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Even people who already have spoken to the Department of Health about their illness are asked to complete the survey.

Those who held permits to visit the park between July 1 and Sept. 4 will receive a link to the survey by email. Others can access the survey by the link provided above. The survey is open to anyone who visited the park during the specified time period.

The highly contagious norovirus was identified last week as the cause of illness among dozens of park visitors. In response, the Kalalau trail from Kē‘ē to Honopū in the Nāpali Coast State Park has been closed until at least Sept. 19.

All comfort stations along the trail are being cleaned and disinfected. Ha‘ena State Park and Kē‘ē Beach remain open with enhanced cleaning and disinfection of the comfort station there.

Norovirus causes copious vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, often with fever. It spreads very easily from person to person. Sick people shed billions of virus particles in their stool and vomit, and it only takes a few virus particles (<100) to make you sick.

The virus spreads in many ways, including:

• Touching an infected person while caring for them (they may have virus on their skin and clothing from vomiting and diarrhea)
• Eating food or drinking liquids contaminated with norovirus (for example, if the food or drink was prepared by someone who was sick or if it was shared with them)
• Touching a surface or object that has norovirus on it and then touching your food or putting your fingers in your mouth (especially without thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water)
• Sharing utensils or cups with people who are sick with norovirus.

There are steps you can take to prevent the spread of norovirus:

• Wash hands carefully with soap and running water after using the toilet and before eating or preparing or handling food. Hand sanitizers alone do not work well against norovirus and should NOT be substituted for soap and water.
• If you are sick, do not prepare food for others or care for others for at least two days after you recover. Throw out any food that may be contaminated with norovirus.
• Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces (where anyone has vomited or had diarrhea), using a chlorine bleach solution or other disinfectant registered by the EPA as effective against norovirus.
• Thoroughly wash all contaminated clothing and bedding.

The CDC advises that people with norovirus do not return to work until at least two full days, or 48 hours, after their symptoms stop. This is especially important if you work in a restaurant, school, daycare, long-term care facility, or other places where you may expose people to norovirus.