As the Los Angeles fires continue to cause devastation across Southern California, an evacuation shelter has been hit with a norovirus outbreak.
The Pasadena Public Health Department confirmed on Friday that three people tested positive for norovirus among a group of 28 who had ‘acute gastrointestinal illness’ at the Pasadena Evacuation Shelter.
The department told CNN that it was providing guidance and support to the American Red Cross, which is managing the shelter and said it’s doing everything it can to keep residents safe.
‘The health and well-being of residents in our care is a top priority,’ said Stephanie Fox, the media relations lead with the American Red Cross national headquarters.
Fox said that health-care workers are available for on-site care for anyone who feels sick. It was confirmed that a health care clinic was set up at the evacuation center, and AltaMed health services is also providing medical care there.
‘The spread of illness in congregate living situations, including shelters, is unfortunately common given the close quarters and communal spaces,’ the Pasadena Public Health Department said. ‘This year, the community has experienced higher than normal levels of Norovirus.’
Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that norovirus outbreaks are worse than they’ve been in more than a decade.
Nearly 500 outbreaks were reported between August and mid-December, according to CDC data, a third more than at the same time in the previous season.
The Pasadena Public Health Department confirmed on Friday that three people tested positive for norovirus among a group of 28 who had ‘acute gastrointestinal illness at the Pasadena Evacuation Shelter
Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that norovirus outbreaks are worse than they’ve been in more than a decade. Nearly 500 outbreaks were reported between August and mid-December, according to CDC data, a third more than at the same time in the previous season
‘The [health department] team will continue to meet with onside health services partners and monitor the situation to prevent any further spread,’ the health department said
The Red Cross said that when a resident at the Pasadena shelter becomes sick, they’ll be isolated in an area away from where healthy residents are.
‘Right now, our partners with the LA County Department of Health and Kaiser Permanente are providing around-the-clock medical care for affected residents in our shelters, and those exhibiting symptoms are resting in another part of the facility away from the general population. Because of these efforts, spread of the illness has been minimal,’ Fox told CNN.
The shelter is also said to have taken safety precautions including making hand sanitizer readily available. Volunteers who handle food are also required to wear gloves and cleaning supplies are also available to staff.
Pasadena Public Health said additional measures include handwashing stations, frequent restroom cleaning and the use of disinfectants.
‘The [health department] team will continue to meet with onside health services partners and monitor the situation to prevent any further spread,’ the department said.
The outbreak comes as experts have warned Los Angeles may be hit with dangerous landslides as rainfall returns to the scorched area.
‘After compiling one year’s worth of soil and sediment erosion quantities occurring after large California wildfires between 1984 and 2021, scientists found that postfire erosion has accelerated over time, particularly in northern California, likely reflecting both the increase in wildfire in the state and the frequency of wet water years,’ the study reads.
Extreme blazes can also destabilize pre-existing, deep-seated landslides over long periods of time.
Hawaii health officials added that those who are pregnant, elderly, young or medically compromised should not enter the contaminated areas
‘Palisades is going to be an area that people need to be on the watch out for landslides because the valley walls are steep. The houses that did survive the wildfire in the Palisades could also be in great danger of a severe rainstorm undercutting the foundation,’ said Costas Synolakis
According to Costas Synolakis, a professor of civil engineering at USC, the landslide danger will be highest in Pacific Palisades as there is no debris basin in the area.
‘Palisades is going to be an area that people need to be on the watch out for landslides because the valley walls are steep.
‘The houses that did survive the wildfire in the Palisades could also be in great danger of a severe rainstorm undercutting the foundation.
‘Homes near creeks and steep hills could also contribute a lot of debris to landslides,’ he told ABC.
The debris from the potential landslides could also cause serious environmental damage.
In the short run, flowing debris can choke rivers and streams and deprive fish of oxygen.
Sediment runoff can also fill reservoirs and take up water storage space – which in turn could damage flood control infrastructure and threaten nearby communities vulnerable to flash flooding.
In addition to the risk of landslide, Los Angeles residents also must take care when returning to any smoldering sites that the fires destroyed due to potential respiratory and long-term health issues.
Residents in fire-ravaged communities have been warned the risk of muslides are heightened and they should be on alert for any warning signs
Diana Felton, 47, chief of the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Communicable Disease, warned curious California homeowners to wear proper protective gear if they were to return to the torched remains
Some 6.5 million people remain under a critical fire threat, after the fires consumed an area nearly the size of Washington, DC, authorities said
Los Angeles public health experts have advised the greater Los Angeles public to vacate neighborhoods that are covered in ‘cancer-causing chemicals.’
Such hazardous chemicals are a result of burned vehicles, solar panels, batteries, building materials and everyday household products.
Yet, even as officials have issued the stark warnings, residents have continued to return to the ruins, with some posting videos on social media showing them walking through the remains without any protective gear.
Dangerous contaminants can be easily kicked up when people try to salvage possessions, rummaging through the potentially toxic rubble.
Exposure usually doesn’t trigger immediate symptoms, but it may lead to long-term health issues such as cancer, high blood pressure, liver problems or learning disabilities.
Even just breathing in wildfire ash and smoke can trigger problems including coughing, erratic heartbeat and fatigue, the health official added.
Felton, chief of the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Communicable Disease, claimed the drove of distressed homeowners returning to the rubble resembles what she saw after the state’s 2023 Lahaina Fire
Exposure usually doesn’t trigger immediate symptoms, but it may lead to long-term health issues such as cancer, high blood pressure, liver problems or learning disabilities
The dangerous contaminants can be easily kicked up when people try to salvage possessions, rummaging through the potentially toxic rubble
Homes damaged by the Palisades Fire are seen along the Malibu beach
Six fires erupted across the greater LA area since last Tuesday, killing at least 27 people and burning more than 12,000 homes and other structures.
Firefighters are still battling the Palisades Fire, which is the most destructive blaze in LA history, as well as the Eaton and Hurst fires.
The three other blazes are now fully contained.
The National Weather Service added that the respite for fire-ravaged Los Angeles will be short, with high chances for renewed Red Flag warnings – when ideal fire conditions of high winds and low humidity dominate – starting again on Sunday.
Some 6.5 million people remain under a critical fire threat, after the fires consumed an area nearly the size of Washington, DC, authorities said.