Norovirus Cases On Cruise Ships Skyrocket: Heres Why And How To Avoid Getting Sick

Table Of Content

• Basic medical care on cruise ships
• Symptoms of norovirus
• Cruises are back — and so are stomach viruses, diarrhea, and vomiting onboard
• NJ teacher charged days after being publicly accused of inappropriately touching teen girl
• Nearly 30 Silversea Cruise passengers sickened by outbreak on board
• CDC Reports 14th Cruise Ship Norovirus Outbreak of 2023
• Outbreaks 2017 reports
• Flu and other respiratory illnesses

These symptoms usually appear between one to two days after contracting the virus but can appear as early as 12 hours after exposure. Cases typically last between 24 and 48 hours, though the illness may be more severe in young children and older adults, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Severe cases usually involve dehydration due to loss fluid—death is rarely ever a result. Workers also directed sick passengers to isolate themselves in their rooms, a Princess Cruises spokesperson said. The company said the sickness was likely caused by norovirus, a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Norovirus, which is sometimes called the "cruise ship virus," causes more than 90% of diarrheal disease outbreaks on cruise ships, according to the CDC.

Basic medical care on cruise ships

According to the Cruise Lines International Association, cruise passenger volume is estimated to reach 106% of 2019 levels this year, with 31.5 million passengers expected to set sail. Land-based operations ("Field Service") include mobile clinics providing screening for potential surgery patients, healthcare, dental care, also mental health programs, infrastructure projects. They are located on upper decks and include cabins for families, couples and single cabins. Attacking a hospital ship is considered a war crime, but enemy forces have the right to board them for inspections. Seasickness is physical disorientation as a result of conflicting signals received by the brain from different body senses. Our inner ear senses the ship's irregular motion, which our eyes can't see because the floor and walls are stable.

Symptoms of norovirus

The total number of infected was 3559 (of those 3354 passengers and 205 crew). In 2015, the number of reported illness outbreaks on cruise ships was 23. The total number of infected was 2570 (of those 2458 passengers and 112 crew). In 2016, the number of reported illness outbreaks on cruise ships was 23. The total number of infected was 2504 (of those 2378 passengers and 126 crew). In 2017, the number of reported illness outbreaks on cruise ships was 21.

Cruises are back — and so are stomach viruses, diarrhea, and vomiting onboard

If your immune system is compromised, your doctor may want to prescribe something ahead of your trip. According to the CDC, flu season in the southern hemisphere, which includes Australia and parts of South America and Africa, typically runs April through September. Christina Coulter is a U.S. and World reporter for Fox News Digital.

NJ teacher charged days after being publicly accused of inappropriately touching teen girl

In May, two outbreaks were reported on voyages led by Celebrity Cruises and Holland America. In March, Celebrity Cruises reported two norovirus outbreaks, as did Royal Caribbean International and Princess Cruises. Princess Cruises reported its first outbreak of the year in February, and Royal Caribbean International reported two the previous month. P&O Cruises also reported an outbreak on its Arcadia cruise ship this year. If an unvaccinated or under-vaccinated passenger or crew member contracts the virus and brings it on board, other vulnerable people can get sick, Chen explains.

2024 Is Already Shaping Up to Be the Year of Cruise Ship Norovirus Cases - Matador Network

2024 Is Already Shaping Up to Be the Year of Cruise Ship Norovirus Cases.

Posted: Wed, 13 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

There were already three outbreaks by February 3 of this year, seven that crossed the month of March, and two in May. 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.

CDC Reports 14th Cruise Ship Norovirus Outbreak of 2023

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. As post-pandemic travel surges and millions of Americans return to cruise ships, an increasing number of cruise lines are reporting outbreaks at sea. The CDC's "Vessel Sanitation Program" is for monitoring illness outbreaks on passenger ships carrying 100 or more guests on sailings from 3 to 21 days in length. This is done 24 hrs prior to arrival at any US port of call from a foreign port. This protocol only confirms that the CDC knows everything about it. In 2012, the number of reported illness outbreaks on cruise ships was 34.

Outbreaks 2017 reports

Passengers who experience norovirus symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea should notify staff and follow recommended precautions, per the CDC. The public health agency said 110 of the Viking Neptune ship’s 838 guests reported being ill – more than 13% of all passengers on board – during a sailing that ended Tuesday, as well as 9 out of 455 crew members, according to its website. Their main symptoms were abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. Norovirus outbreaks spiked on cruise ships this year, with data showing more outbreaks happened between January and June than over the course of any other full calendar year in the last decade. Thirteen norovirus outbreaks have been reported on cruises so far in 2023, according to the U.S.

Flu and other respiratory illnesses

Some people are at higher risk of developing severe norovirus symptoms — these include infants, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems, Ostrosky noted. There’s no specific treatment or antiviral for norovirus, according to Ostrosky, but most cases can be managed at home with supportive care like hydration and rest. Sick people should also isolate until their symptoms resolve, the experts emphasize. Cruise Radio prioritizes well-balanced cruise news coverage and accurate reporting, paired with ship reviews and tips. Norovirus cases have spiked across the United States this year, which some experts say is the result of ending COVID-19 restrictions. If there is a new strain of the virus, the CDC says, there can be upward of 50 percent more norovirus illnesses in a given year.

In February 2020, the shipowner cruise company Lindblad Expeditions announced the "Premium Purity" program with a shipwide cleaning system based on ACT CleanCoat technology. The innovative ship cleaning process is based on photocatalytic antibacterial spray that when activated by light kills viruses, bacteria, airborne microbes, mould. The disinfecting product and technology were developed by the Danish company ACT Global AS (Copenhagen). The spray is chemical-free, odourless, transparent and can be applied to all surfaces. Numerous studies confirm that a quick application of hand sanitizer doesn't kill the Norovirus.

Learn more about illnesses and outbreaks reported to VSP and find information about outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships. The CDC has previously noted that norovirus can spread quickly on cruise lines, and multiple norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships have been reported over the years to the agency. Holland America's the Nieuw Amsterdam, which set sail on May 6, is among a string of 11 cruise ships to report gastrointestinal illness onboard this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 213, or over 10%, of passengers and 35, or 4%, of crew on the Nieuw Amsterdam have been reported sick during the voyage that lasts until May 21, mostly with diarrhea and vomiting. So far this year, 1,503 people—1,321 passengers, and 182 crew members—have come down with gastrointestinal illnesses on cruises that had the US as part of their itinerary.

The cases were mild and likely caused by norovirus, a Princess spokesperson told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. The CDC said the causative agent is unknown, according to its website. The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program epidemiologists and environmental health officers responded to the ship when it docked in Galveston, Texas on March 5, the agency said. The virus spreads easily and is typically contracted when someone accidentally ingests tiny particles of vomit or feces from someone who is infected with it. The CDC writes that people who are infected "can shed billions of norovirus particles that you can't see without a microscope," and exposure to just a few norovirus particles can make someone sick.