Usually when one takes a ride on a zipline, they're not expecting the destination to be the bathroom or worse yet the hospital.  But 548 people fell ill with gastro after taking a ride on a Tennessee zipline.

This happened at CLIMB Works Zipline Canopy Tour in Gatlinburg, a tourist area in the Smoky Mountains.  The Tennessee Department of Health's investigation confirmed the outbreak was related to the park.  The investigation is continuing but the initial tests found E. coli in the well from which water is served in coolers throughout the zipline course.

"Water testing has indicated fecal contamination of the facility's water system," said Tennessee Department of Health Deputy State Epidemiologist John Dunn, DVM, PhD.  "Additional preliminary testing has identified enteropathogenic E. coli.  Testing of clinical and environmental samples is still underway to look for bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms.  It's important to note that while norovirus is reliably identified in stool samples during outbreak investigations, identifying it in food, water and the environment is more challenging."

In addition to E. coli, multiple patients who visited the facility since 15 June have tested positive for norovirus.  One patient has tested positive for both norovirus and enteropathogenic E. coli.