Nearly 30 Silversea cruise guests sick in gastrointestinal outbreak
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Bad, if meant to happen, will happen anyway, and nothing can change it. The cruise terminal and the near area were thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. "MSC Cruises rigorously adheres to health protocols, and the results of this inspection do not reflect the brand's high standards," the person added.
How does norovirus spread?
“We believe the gastrointestinal illness originated from a shoreside restaurant in Iceland where a group of guests dined during their free time,” the cruise line said in a statement. After docking in New York, the ship was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and continued its scheduled sailings. Cruise ships in particular have many of the conditions that make people susceptible to norovirus—close quarters, enclosed spaces, communal dining, and high turnover of passengers.
Norovirus outbreaks 2023 reports
“Norovirus is one of the few viruses that doesn’t get deactivated by alcohol. You actually need to use soap and water to physically destroy it and remove it from your hands,” Ostrosky previously told TODAY.com. Exposure to less than 100 norovirus particles can make someone sick, and infected people typically shed billions of particles, according to the CDC.
These are the cruise ships with the best — and worst — sanitation scores so far this year
Violations can include something as small as not posting a raw-eggs advisory on the omelet station or a single fly hovering in a food area. But before going on your next cruise adventure, it doesn't hurt to check out the ship's most recent sanitation rating. There's nothing like a stomach virus to ruin your vacation, as hundreds of cruise ship passengers have unfortunately learned this year. And while you might still have a closet full of hand sanitizer from the COVID days, keep in mind that hand sanitizer doesn’t work well against norovirus. Legionnaires’ disease (legionellosis) is a form of pneumonia that can be life-threatening. It is caused by a bacterium that thrives in water and the disease is likely environmentally related.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading expert on infectious diseases, recently said that he thinks the country will have control over Covid and regain a sense of normalcy by spring 2022. But even then, travel and cruises will likely be high-risk activities. Norwegian Cruise Line sued Florida's top health official in July, requesting a preliminary injunction to let the company implement its vaccine mandate for all passengers and crew. District Judge Kathleen Williams writing that Norwegian "demonstrated that public health will be jeopardized if it is required to suspend its vaccination requirement."
Cruise lines are battling norovirus outbreaks, affecting hundreds of passengers and crew - Miami Herald
Cruise lines are battling norovirus outbreaks, affecting hundreds of passengers and crew.
Posted: Thu, 13 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Why the Number of Norovirus Outbreaks Increased
Secondly, clean and disinfect high touch surfaces such as doorknobs, faucets, handles, and that statue of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the dining hall. Use either a chlorine bleach solution that has a concentration of at least 1,000 to 5,000 parts per million or use a disinfectant that’s registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as being effective versus norovirus. Some of the cruise companies are fighting another battle, too — against state governments that have passed laws or executive orders aimed at stopping vaccine mandates. On Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott passed an executive order banning any state or local mandates requiring Covid vaccination. In Florida, home to multiple popular cruise departure ports, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order in May prohibiting vaccine passports statewide. Moreover, the cruise industry often finds itself under scrutiny following an outbreak, which can affect the public’s perception and willingness to book cruises, ultimately impacting the industry’s bottom line.
June had one as well, affected a Viking Cruises ship that traveled from June 6 to June 20. This outbreak left 110 of 838 (13.1%) passengers and nine of 455 (1.98%) crew members sick in a bad way. Norovirus outbreaks have hit ships from a range of different cruise ship companies including Viking Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, and P&O Cruises. Yeah, even though norovirus is known as the “Winter vomiting bug,” it’s activity is not necessarily confined to the colder months.
Virus particles can contaminate drinking water that isn't treated properly or pools when people poop in the water. Rachel Nania writes about health care and health policy for AARP. Previously she was a reporter and editor for WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. A recipient of a Gracie Award and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, she also participated in a dementia fellowship with the National Press Foundation. However, antihistamines can interact with other medications and often cause drowsiness and decreased mental alertness, and the nonsedating ones appear to be less effective, the CDC says. Your doctor may also prescribe or recommend a patch that can help prevent nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness. Read on to discover some common illnesses you can pick up on a cruise — and what you can do to help keep yourself healthy on your next getaway.
Illnesses You Can Get on a Cruise Ship (Besides COVID)
This means Norovirus outbreaks are reported more quickly on ships than on land. Just for comparison, the virus can afflict as many as 3000 people per day in only one big city, which is about the passenger capacity of a typical modern cruiser. Even with stringent vaccination, testing and masking, among other protocols, it is fairly common for coronavirus cases to emerge among passengers and crew on cruise vessels. After a lull during the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of the highly contagious virus that causes diarrhea and vomiting, aka stomach flu, spiked this winter and spring on land.
However, Norovirus has been known to close schools, attack college dormitories and even infect a Hollywood Academy Awards party. The virus is commonly spread through direct contact with an infected person, consuming contaminated food or water, or touching surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus. One of the main challenges in containing norovirus is its ability to survive on various surfaces for a significant amount of time, making it easy to pick up unknowingly. While there have been 13 outbreaks of norovirus on cruise ships this year, Labus explained that not every cruise passenger is going to be exposed to the virus.
In humans, Zika virus causes the Zika fever which is known to occur only within some equatorial regions. In 2014, Zika spread across the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia, and soon to Easter Island. In 2015, Zika virus reached Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.
Guidelines (specifically for pregnant women) were issued as well. Similar travel warnings were issued by other health agencies and governments. Surfaces or objects that are contaminated with norovirus can be cleaned with a high-level disinfectant like bleach, per Ostrosky. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about any medications you should pack, such as loperamide (Imodium) to help treat diarrhea or dimenhydrinate (Dramamine, Gravol) for nausea.
Another possibility is the cruise ship to cancel all the itinerary's foreign ports of call and to return to its US home-port before the end of the voyage. VSP (abbrev "Vessel Sanitation Program") monitors CDC's observations on illness patterns for GI (gastrointestinal) outbreaks on passenger shipping vessels (ferries and cruise ships). Norovirus on ships is spread through contaminated water, foods and surfaces (public restrooms, railings, doorknobs, handles, board games-cards-puzzles-toys, etc). Norovirus withstands chlorine, prolonged exposure outside the body, as well as temperature extremes. Like a virus, Norwalk can't be effectively treated with antibiotics, making it extremely difficult to eliminate in closed environments - like cruise vessels. Hand hygiene is key to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus — but the way you clean your hands matters, experts note.
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