Gavdos island, Greece is grappling with a severe outbreak of the norovirus, which is overwhelming the island’s health facilities for a second year in a row, according to TO VIMA.
Initially thought to be connected to the island’s water supply, laboratory tests conducted by the microbiology department at Chania General Hospital confirm that the gastroenteritis outbreak on the island is due to a virus.
Overwhelmed Facilities
Videos circulating online reveal distressing scenes from the local clinic in Gavdos, which is Greece’s southernmost island, where residents and tourists alike have flocked seeking medical assistance.
The footage shows people wrapped in thermal blankets, lying on stretchers in hallways due to overcrowded conditions.
With 20 to 30 new cases being reported daily, the small clinic is struggling to cope with the influx, facing shortages of essential medications and antiemetics (a pharmaceutical drug that stops vomitting).
Laboratory analysis has pinpointed the cause of the outbreak to norovirus, a pathogen commonly associated with outbreaks in places where people are in close quarters or where hygiene and sanitation standards are compromised.
This finding has relieved initial fears of water contamination, yet it underscores the pressing need for improved sanitary conditions on the island.
Concerns Over the Island’s Water Supply Remain
The residents of Gaudos have long expressed concerns over inadequate water supply and the lack of a proper sewage system, issues that have come under renewed scrutiny amid this health crisis.
In response, authorities are conducting thorough inspections of water quality from local wells to ensure that the supply remains safe for consumption.
