Facts About Noroviruses on Cruise Ships VSP

Table Of Content

• Nearly 140 people onboard a cruise ship sick in gastrointestinal illness outbreak
• Contagious stomach bug surges on cruise ships after years of decline
• Nearly 30 Silverseas cruise passengers fall ill with diarrhea at sea
• Am I entitled to compensation from the cruise line if I get Norovirus while on a voyage?
• Cruise Ship Norovirus Outbreaks
• Cruises
• 'An extraordinarily contagious virus'

If you want to bring something on your ship to help lower the chance of catching norovirus, Lysol and Clorox products are among the bleaches the Environmental Protection Agency lists as being effective against norovirus. Before you buy anything, keep in mind bleach isn't allowed on cruise ships. Your travel insurance will not cover cancellations due to the fear of illness, but it will cover you if you cancel because you got sick before you went or are stricken onboard. Specifically, it could also pick up medical expenses and/or compensate you for days you missed if you left the ship before the end of the cruise. Since policies vary between travel insurers, read the fine print before you go. In a May outbreak, aboard Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam, 213 passengers and 35 crew reported being ill.

Nearly 140 people onboard a cruise ship sick in gastrointestinal illness outbreak

My cruise ship had a norovirus outbreak. Should I be worried? - The Washington Post

My cruise ship had a norovirus outbreak. Should I be worried?.

Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

It has important suggestions on how to avoid spreading the cruise ship virus infection. CruiseMapper's Norovirus survey is based on official data from CDC.gov (USA's "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention"). CDC's "Vessel Sanitation Program" assists the cruise tourism industry in preventing and controlling the transmission and spread of gastrointestinal illnesses (Norovirus, ETEC) on passenger ships calling on US seaports. Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis, which is inflammation in the stomach or intestines, according to the CDC.

After years of decline, norovirus outbreaks surge on cruise ships - CNN

After years of decline, norovirus outbreaks surge on cruise ships.

Posted: Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Contagious stomach bug surges on cruise ships after years of decline

Health officials say norovirus is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea as well as the most common type of foodborne illness. The simple answer is that cruise ships are required to report cases of acute gastroenteritis to the CDC, even when the numbers are low. In contrast, other entities — schools, nursing homes, hospitals and restaurants — are not. If you feel ill from Norovirus while on a cruise ship, visit the ship's doctor. Additionally, be sure to drink plenty of water, as dehydration is a common side-effect.

Nearly 30 Silverseas cruise passengers fall ill with diarrhea at sea

But when it comes to the health of those travelers, it's not always smooth sailing. The symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, abdominal cramps. The illness lasts 1 to 4 days, but some people (especially elderly) may be contagious for up to 2 weeks after recovery.

The total number of infected was 2385 (of those 2249 passengers and 136 crew). In 2014, the number of reported illness outbreaks on cruise ships was 17. The total number of infected was 3559 (of those 3354 passengers and 205 crew).

Cruise Ship Norovirus Outbreaks

That's the highest number of norovirus outbreaks on cruises recorded since 2012, with almost half of the calendar year left to go. Shipboard hospitals as facilities and equipment vary by cruise line and vessel. Clinic's size usually depends on the ship's capacity (passengers plus crew).

How do you prevent norovirus?

More than 13% of passengers on the Viking Neptune — 110 of 838 in total — reported being ill while onboard, according to the CDC. Health officials at the CDC determined that norovirus caused the outbreak after Viking Cruises collected and sent specimens to the agency's laboratory for testing. An excessive number of news reports exist for norovirus cases on ships, making it seem to the unsuspecting public that cruise vessels are dirty or you're likely to get sick if you sail. Norovirus has been a particular problem of late for cruise ships because passengers and crew typically occupy close -- and closed-in -- quarters, such as casinos, theaters and banquet-style dining rooms. However, Norovirus has been known to close schools, attack college dormitories and even infect a Hollywood Academy Awards party.

Usually, a pre-embarkation health advisory is distributed to all boarding passengers. Additional med staff is sent to the ship in port to assist the disembarkation of infected passengers. 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. Infected passengers who don't wash their hands after coughing, sneezing or using the restroom are the reason those surfaces become contaminated in the first place. Find out why norovirus is unfairly labeled a cruise ship illness, what cruise lines do to minimize onboard spread and whether you should be worried about it on your next voyage. The Cruise Lines International Association says incidents of gastrointestinal illness are “quite rare” on ships, pointing to the millions who get sick every year on land.

'An extraordinarily contagious virus'

Royal Caribbean International's 'Oasis of the Seas' cruise ship is seen at Port Canaveral, Florida ... [+] on January 12, 2019, after returning a day early from a seven-night Caribbean cruise when over 400 passengers and crew members suffered gastrointestinal illness due to a suspected Norovirus outbreak. That said, the chances of catching the bug on a cruise ship aren’t particularly high. According to the Cruise Lines Industry Association, the risk each year of getting laboratory-confirmed norovirus during a ship outbreak is about 1 in 5,500. Over half of all cases originate in long-term health care facilities, according to the CDC, while less than 1 percent of all norovirus cases come from cruise ships.

It takes about 30 sec of hard rubbing with hot water and soap (including under the nails) to wash it. During the onboard illness outbreak, VSP requires the cruise company to activate the "Outbreak Prevention and Response Plan" (vessel's response to illness cases). VSP doesn't charge fees for consultations related to shipping facilities renovations or new ships.

Hydration therapy to replace lost fluids from vomiting or diarrhea is standard practice to address symptoms. "This is an extraordinarily contagious virus," said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University. "It takes but a few normal viral particles to initiate an infection in someone who’s exposed. In other words, this doesn't take a large dose; it takes only a little bit." The "big three" companies, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival cruises, have reported near or over 100% occupancy in the first quarter of 2023. In February 2023, for instance, a school of K-8 students in Livonia, Michigan shut down as over 115 students and staff members contracted this virus, according to reports.

It's a very common, highly contagious, ruthlessly efficient and uncomfortably bad virus affecting the stomach and large intestines. Often called "stomach flu" (the med term is "Gastroenteritis") the infection results in massive vomiting and diarrhea. Sickness outbreaks are considered as such if the percentage of infected people is over 3%.