Illness strikes 126 on Bike Across Kansas

Food-borne illness struck participants in the recently concluded Bike Across Kansas. According to a KCStar article, 126 riders became ill during or immediately after the ride. The Kansas state laboratory identified norovirus, a common gastrointestinal infection, as the cause of most of the illnesses. Rotavirus, another common food-borne virus, may have caused some infections.

Ilnesses like this are surprisingly common on large bicycling events. Organizers and participants can prevent the spread of such illnesses by taking these measures:

* Provide handwashing facilities near restrooms facilities and food with soap or hand sanitizer.
* Participants and volunteers must wash hands after using restroom facilities and before handling food, water, or ice.
* Have volunteers (who have been instructed to wash hands) give food and, especially, ice to riders rather than allowing riders to handle food or ice.
* Use utensils (tongs, etc.) rather than hands to distribute food and ice to riders.
* Thoroughly clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces, such as bathroom fixtures and food tables, with a bleach-based cleaner or other
disinfectant
* Refrain from preparing food or caring for others if you have diarrhea

Norovirus, which struck Bike Across Kansas, has only one natural environment: the human intestine. For that reason it is very important to wash hands with soap after a bowel movement and before and after handling food.

Thoroughly wash raw fruits and vegetables and cook meat to 160 degrees fahrenheit--all of these foods may have been contaminated by handling somewhere along the way.

Norovirus can contaminate water and ice, too. Have volunteers (not riders) distribute ice using tongs or scoops, not hands.