Vacationers at Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks have been urged to wash their hand frequently, due to a large number of people who have fallen ill during their visits.
Park staff noticed "greater than normal reports of gastrointestinal illness" recently, according to a news release reported on by CNN.
A tour group visiting a part of Yellowstone on the Montana/Wyoming border began experiencing stomach problems and other symptoms. Shortly after park staff who had been in contact with the group began to have similar complaints. Medical examiners concluded the cause of the illness was norovirus.
The illness is "a very contagious virus that (can be contracted) from an infected person, contaminated food or water or by touching contaminated surfaces," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There have been over 100 reported cases of the virus in Yellowstone employees and another 50 in Teton staff, according to the National Park Service via CNN. The parks have required any employees exhibiting signs of the highly contagious virus must wait 72 hours after their symptoms have subsided before returning to work.
One woman commented on the Yellowstone Facebook page that she had experienced symptoms of the virus, describing it as "the worst pain I have ever had."
"I'm going this weekend and will be washing my hands like crazy, not to mention using disinfecting wipes after leaving public areas," commented another woman. "This sounds like a quick way to ruin a trip hope everyone is ok!"
Virus' have swept national parks in the past. Only last summer eight people who had visited Yosemite national park came down hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, three of the cases were fatal.
Park officials focused their investigation on the "signature tent cabins," as the culprit for spreading the disease.
Budget cuts have been a roadblock to national parks this year, having lost $113 million of funding. The cuts are not expected to hinder park official's efforts to keep the norvirus from spreading.
