More than 500 visitors to the Tyrolean Tennessee sick in the stomach disease epidemic

(CNN) – A continuing investigation into what has caused gastrointestinal illness among hundreds of visitors to a Tyrolean destination.

More than 500 people reported symptoms such as stomach upset, nausea, and vomiting after visiting the Gatlinburg zip line. The Tennessee Department of Health announced Thursday that the authorities were still investigating the cause of the diseases.

"For the moment, we can not name a single cause of this epidemic," said John Dunn, deputy epidemiologist. in the press release about the investigation.

Since June, several visitors to the CLIMB Works facility have been tested positive for the common insect norovirus, according to the department. Norovirus causes acute gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the stomach or intestines. Symptoms, usually lasting one to three days, include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach upset.

One patient tested positive for norovirus and enteropathogenic E. coli, a diarrheal pathogen. The symptoms of E. coli infection can last several days.

"Preliminary tests and environmental health assessments indicate that the water system at the zip line station may have contributed to the outbreak, but there are probably other sources of contamination , including contaminated surfaces and person-to-person transmission. ", said Mr. Dunn.

" Water testing revealed faecal contamination of the facility's water system. " , "He said." Additional preliminary tests have identified enteropathogenic E. coli. Clinical and environmental specimen testing is still ongoing to look for bacterial, viral, and parasitic organisms. It is important to note that if norovirus is reliably identified in stool samples Food, water and the environment are more difficult. "

The Department of Health has stated that CLIMB Works, which uses well water, has fully cooperated with the public health survey.

and we are currently using only free bottled water for our drinking water and we added an extra chlorination system for our unsafe water, "wrote owner Nick Thompson in an email.

" We feel bad about it. We are happy to contact us directly so that we can help make the situation fair for our guests, "he said.

While the investigation into the Thompson c added that the situation was contained for the safety of future visitors.

In some recent comments posted on CLIMB Works' Facebook page, visitors to the facility mentioned experiencing "extreme nausea" and "stomach problems".

Katie Griffin, a woman who visited the institution, wrote in a public review that her 9-year-old daughter was suffering from stomach upset and vomiting. The girl could not get out of bed for days, which made her miss a softball tournament, according to the magazine.

"She had the worst fate of our family of 5 but we soon discovered that the other Griffin family wrote:

The CLIMB Works management team responded to each of the exams Related to illness reports, including: "We all got sick and we all got sick." Griffin's post, noting that the team is working on the public health survey and asking that visitors become sick call the establishment.