2000 River Season Illness Report

Hi all. For those of you who may not already know me, I am the nps Public Health Park Consultant. I would like to thank all of the guides I met on the river this season for their hospitality and cooperation during my inspections of their trips again this year. I think that all of you are doing a very good job handling food and sanitation operations.
As most of you are aware, there was a “24- hour” illness occurring on the river this season. Here is the data that I have been able to collect so far on the cases of this illness.
Twelve of the sixteen companies had at least one person sick with this illness during the summer. As near as I can estimate, there were 159 people sick between April 7 and September 8. The symptoms were generally, severe vomiting and diarrhea with headache and chills and usually a fever of 102 plus. The illness usually lasted from 12 to 24 hours. Of the 159 people, 103 were on oar trips and 56 were on motor trips. Illnesses were reported from mile 30 to 260 with most between 60 and 220.

These figures do not include science trips or private trips. From what I have heard from various sources, there were at least as many, if not more, people ill on private trips during this same period.
At this point we do not know what it was, where it came from or what to do about it to prevent it occurring again. This situation points out a problem in the present reporting procedures as well as the nps response to illnesses on the river or in the backcountry. I am working to get changes made in how and when illnesses are reported to my office and how the Public Health Service and nps respond to these occurrences.
I will be meeting with my department as well as the Park Service administration and concession staff to get useful changes made. I am sure we all would like to know what these illnesses are and what we can do to prevent them.
I will be meeting with the outfitters and the guides before next season to discuss any improvements to our handling of future illness problems on the river.
Again, thanks for a wonderful season on the river and I look forward to working with you again next season.
Jim Nothnagel