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A norovirus outbreak is causing a stir in a small town on Lake Garda. Hundreds of people are affected. Local residents feel they were informed too late.
Torri del Benàco – The small town of Torri del Benàco (Italy) actually attracts travelers with its picturesque town center and the striking Castello Scaligero fortress. But at the moment, not only the holiday idyll on the eastern shore of Lake Garda is being spoiled, but also the everyday life of the approximately 3,000 residents. The reason for this is a gastrointestinal virus that is rampant among a large part of the population.
Vomiting, nausea, fever: Hundreds of people on Lake Garda suffer from severe gastrointestinal complaints
In recent days, hundreds of people with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis have been admitted to the hospital in Peschiera del Garda, reports the daily newspaper The RepublicThose affected suffered from vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and fever. The authorities found that it could hardly be a coincidence that so many residents of the small town of Torri del Benàco were complaining of symptoms.
The culprit was quickly identified: a norovirus, which, according to media reports, was detected in several stool samples from affected people. The Journal writes that at least 200 to 300 people are said to have complained of severe symptoms, with symptoms sometimes lasting up to 60 hours. Noroviruses were also responsible for numerous illnesses at a spring festival in Germany a few months ago.
Mayor restricts use of tap water – origin of contamination unclear
The virus can spread through contaminated water and food. The water supply is also suspected to be the origin of the mass outbreak in the affected town on Lake Garda. For this reason, the mayor of Torri del Benàco, Stefano Nicotra, has already issued an order prohibiting the use of drinking water for normal purposes. “Do not use for personal or alimentary use until further notice,” Nicotra wrote on Facebook.
Residents are asked to use only bottled water and to follow strict hygiene measures, including thorough hand washing and disinfection of surfaces. The water pipe has been disinfected with chlorine as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the virus.
Where exactly the contamination occurred is still unclear and is currently the subject of laboratory analyses. It is suspected, among other things, that the recent rise in Lake Garda could have led to contamination, the RepublicRecently, a popular beach on Lake Garda had to be closed due to bacterial contamination.
Mass outbreak of gastrointestinal virus: Residents express displeasure over late warning
Many residents expressed their displeasure at the fact that the authorities were slow to inform us about the contamination. “Why did the authorities wait until today (note: Friday, June 28) before warning us?” asks Diana A., an affected resident, about The Venetian Corriere. And he continued: “I am very angry and do not feel adequately protected. If I had not gone to the pharmacy, I would not have found out anything.”
Another woman, who only came home on Thursday (June 27) with her newborn child, reports something similar. “Luckily, the neighbor warned me and I avoided using tap water, but my partner, who was at home during those days, had diarrhea and nausea,” she told the regional edition of the The Sun’s Corriere. Some sufferers report that they have been suffering from the symptoms for days. One woman says that her family has been suffering from the symptoms for about ten days.
“We don’t know how to deal with incoming guests” – Holidaymakers also affected
There is also discontent in hospitality establishments: “We inform the new guests, but we do not know how to deal with the incoming guests,” says a hotel operator about Corriere“In the pharmacy they say that half the town has gastrointestinal problems. We give the tourists two bottles of water and recommend not using the tap water,” says the operator of another accommodation.
It is unclear, however, how long the tense health situation will last. During the most recent norovirus outbreak in other regions such as Lombardy in the spring of this year, it took about two weeks before the situation was under control. In 2023, however, the concern about the tropical disease dengue was even greater on Lake Garda. (jm)
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