The Italian tourist destination of Torri del Benaco, on the shores of Lake Garda, is facing a wave of norovirus. More than 300 people have already been hospitalized and it is currently forbidden to drink tap water.
In total, more than 900 cases of norovirus have been recorded in the Torri del Benaco region, on the eastern shore of Lake Garda. The virus likely spread through drinking water. The Italian media assume, for their part, that the high water level of Lake Garda caused a malfunction in the sewage system, thus facilitating the transmission of the virus.
The mayor of the municipality, Stefano Nicotra, has called on residents of the area to stop drinking tap water and not to use it for cooking or cleaning. Traces of the virus had been found in drinking water last Friday, but more recent tests have come back negative.
Torri del Benaco has only 3,000 inhabitants, but welcomes many vacationers at the start of the summer season. Symptoms of norovirus infection, which include sudden diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, appear 24 to 48 hours after infection. They disappear spontaneously after a few days. The virus, which is highly contagious, can be transmitted from person to person, through contaminated water and food, or via droplets in the air.
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