Tom and I for sure caught what was going around. A bunch more from Sound Town are experiencing the same symptoms.

Were you perhaps involved in the giant spin the bottle game? I'm figuring that's where I caught this funk from . . . that, or shivering myself to sleep during the nights.

Yep, got the same thing. I felt it coming on Friday night. Mine is almost gone now, but boy was it a pain.
Maybe it was in the water...

SEEEEE!!!!! that's why i wouldn't play spin the bottle!!! so fuck y'all who gave me flack for being a germophobe! ;-p

but honestly... all it takes is one person with a norovirus to get everyone in the place sick. that's why outbreaks on cruise ships are so common. if we were in a closed environment, it would probably be worse. it only takes a few microbes to get ya. and really, who is washing their hands as much as they should during a burn? not to mention, everyone's touching, kissing, sharing food/drinks/bathrooms. it's kinda gross, and thinking about it makes my ocd tendencies tweak out a bit.

i did not take one sip of the water on the property. i brought my own 3 gallon jugs. however... did any of you go in the water to swim? i heard that there was a beaver on the property (carrier of many waterborne buggies), and there are probably levels of microbes in the swimming area.

for a stomach flu, i recommend getting a giant bottle of acidophilus pills and just start downing it. that, and sips of fresh ginger tea.

there was spin the bottle... dammit... why do I miss all the good stuff....

i've had the shits for a couple days, but no pain or nausea or anything

also, spin the bottle happened right at our camp! no excuse for you to have missed it!

I've manage to escape that although I've been battling a serious case of anal gloucoma, as in I've had a hard time seeing my ass going to work. Oh shit i feel a wave coming on right now....

I understand that Wickerman isn't the first event where people have become sick
at Four Quarters. There was the 10 day "New Culture" Summer Camp in July 2007 that
had the same problem, and possibly a few other events at Four Quarters.
I hope Four Quarters is able to figure out what the cause is and resolve the issue.

Its House Haus disease.

I was just at Four Quarters again this weekend for Fires Rising and as of last night, the emails started rolling in about people who have a stomach bug. They also said that at that festival last year they had the same problem. Maybe it's the water?

THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN 07 AT DRUM AND SPLASH I CAME BACK SICK AS A DOG TOO? WERE ANY OF YOU ON THE MEAL PLANS? OR DRINKING THE WATER FROM THE PUMP?

This was posted on the official Wicker Man forum, thought folks here might find it interesting.

--

We have been working with the PA Epidemiological, Bedford health and DEP for over a year. Water tested, kitchen inspected and forwarding info.

Bottom line issue is the operation of field kitchens or open finger food tables, with the risk exponentiating as group size increases

Below I append a letter with general info on norovirus. We are posting the same throughout camp, and at the point are simply forbidding any field kitchen operations, or open finger foods at the camp.

If you have any questions, please do feel free to call. Best Orren Whiddon 4qf 814-784-3075 *************

The virus in question is norovirus, common stomach flu. We have been tracking it through various festivals and gatherings up and down the east coast for the past two years. Norovirus in particular is approaching epidemic proportions in the US, following the summer travelling season and large concentrations of people. It has been present this season at every large "alternative" gathering that we have had observers at. A good sense of the scale and variety of outbreaks can be gleaned from www.noroblog.com/

We work with the PA Dept of Health, and in long conversations with the PA State Epidemiologist on the subject (he is a great guy and very knowledgeable) we have come to learn the following about norovirus:

* Norovirus is responsible for 90% of all gastro-intestinal illness. * The base vector of transmission is intestinal fluids and solids. * Many infections of norovirus produce no symptoms, and infections may provide some short term immunity. The virus is mutable and changes year to year. Infected persons showing no symptoms are still infectious. * Typically illness arrives 3 and more often 5 to 8 days after exposure with flu-like symptoms (aches, vomiting, lethargy) and stomach upset. Usually mild, sometimes severe. It's delayed onset compared to the immediate onset of bacterial gastro-intestinal illness, is a prime diagnostic tool separating viral from bacterial. * It is seasonally heat related and an individuals susceptibility may be promoted by heat exhaustion. * For reasons not understood norovirus will survive for longer periods on vegetables and particularly green leafy vegetables. * It is not associated with water supplies, except where it can be concentrated in standing water, like hand dip buckets. * It is strongly associated with "Open Serve." Meaning situations where people serve themselves from a common tray, and very much so if by hand, ie: finger foods. Open trays of sliced fruit, dips, chips and the like. * It is strongly associated with travel, and groups of people travelling. It is very strongly associated with people travelling between large gatherings. * It can be transmitted by some forms of sexual play. * It may be associated with imported and "factory prepared" green vegetables, cut and bagged. (I personally think this is the reason for its rapid growth over the past 20 years) * Each season its spread can be tracked in association with travel on the interstate highway system. * For all the above reasons it has reached epidemic proportions in the US.

Water systems can transmit bacterial infections; and last year we had our water system tested by the state per our request. A 1 micron absolute filter on 600 gallons of water, solvent extracted, centrifuged to a pellet and microscopically examined for bacteria. We passed with zero indications. It is worth noting that our well was built to community water specifications at great cost. It is not a residential grade well. We also flush the system with chlorine when we start up for the season and for each event thereafter.

We asked for this testing after a group that used our camp for two weeks in July last year fell ill with what was diagnosed as norovirus (Stomach Flu). In their case the PA state epidemiological investigation and food sanitarian implicated: * A kitchen setup person arriving actively ill with norovirus. * Their "open serve" food handling policy, people serving themselves, especially raw vegetables and dips. * Their use of hand dip buckets rather than hand washing. * A physically intimate social setting.

We have complete confidence in our water system, few camps and few home wells can pass the tests we had performed with zero indications. We also have confidence in our kitchen which has been examined by the Bedford County Food Sanitarian and is a closed serve kitchen; ie: a small closed staff that prepares and serves the food. The kitchen is power washed prior to our events and chlorine washed each night.

However, we know as a positive fact that at every event we do, folks arrive sick with norovirus, and we know the rate is increasing each year. Some of the events here have had either a field kitchen operated by attendees, or have been provided by us with an open serve finger food table. Additionally, it is common practice in some alternative cultures to share food, often placed on an open platter and passed through the crowd. All of these situations are open invitations to norovirus infection.

For all of the above reasons, our Board of Directors has prohibited open serve food at events we organize. We are developing an information sheet for attendees and organizers, and will probably require that they "sign off" on it if they intend to run a separate kitchen operation or provide "gifted food." The BoD may decide to prohibit outside group field kitchens altogether. But in either case it is wise to forgo late night humus, chips, watermelon, grapes and carrots around the Fire Circle or the dance floor! Bottom line, eat from our kitchen or food prepared by someone you know personally to be in good health; never ever eat from a common platter.

Please do feel free to call me at our offices if you have any further questions or concerns. And feel free to share the informational part of this post with others. We share your concerns and are actively collecting information to advise the continued development of our camp policies.

Best Orren Whiddon Exec. Officer Four Quarters 814-784-3075