The Queensland camping area that was forced to close last week due to an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness is to re-open today … but the whole incident has raised some serious issues.
Two camping spots at Inskip Point were abruptly shut on December 3 on the advice of Queensland Health. This despite the fact that Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) said the 14 toilet blocks at Inskip Point, including those at Sarawak and Sarawak West camping areas, had been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected ‘numerous times’ in preceding weeks.
In a statement, it said an investigation was yet to find the source of the outbreak and warned the illness that infected campers led to ‘severe vomiting and other gastrointestinal symptoms’.
With so many campers hitting the road, Linda Selvey from the University of Queensland’s School of Public Health said the incident highlighted that any campsite where lots of people were sharing limited amenities was at risk of a gastro outbreak.
She told the ABC that some forms of gastro, including norovirus, are incredibly contagious, can become airborne, and are able to survive on surfaces for weeks.
And she said the more remote and pristine a location, the less likely it was to have significant toilet facilities.
“It’s appropriate in terms of landscape … you don’t want to build [lots of] toilet blocks,” she said. “If there were a lot of people there, that can really put a strain on it … even if people don’t go elsewhere, there’s limited facilities to wash your hands and you can contaminate surfaces pretty easily.”
Associate Professor Selvey told the ABC that ducking into the bush was not a good option for campers.
“People do a poo and it gets washed into waterways, and if there’s a pathogen there then that’s another way it can be transmitted,” she said.
She said campers needed to make sure they were drinking treated water in case human waste was entering the waterways, and consistently using hand sanitiser.
The NPWS agreed on the need for extreme caution.
“No matter their health status or conditions, campers staying in close proximity to others need to practise heightened personal hygiene,” a spokesperson told the ABC. “Particularly with hand washing, food storage and preparation, and sharing food and drinks.”
The ABC reports that, last year, Australians took 7.2 million trips to free camping sites, with about half aged 50 or older and one-third children.
After the terrible Codiv issue over the last 10 or so month’s, one would think people would be “super’ cautious and demonstrate much higher hygiene practices in their every day lives. Go figure.
I agree
This appears to happen each year at this peak rush time for this popular camping ground.
We have spent the last three xmases there and never heard of anyone being sick or the camp areas being closed.