Norovirus outbreak hits Royal Caribbean cruise ship, at least 277 people sick including passengers, crew members
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This includes sharing food/utensils and poor hygiene (not washing hands after bathroom use). The virus also spreads fecally, so you can catch it into the onboard laundry, or while changing diapers, etc. However, many passengers likely can blame a sick crewmember for the virus. According to a survey based on 170 inspection records on ships that docked in Florida ports in 2012, on 59 cruises violations of the required illness reporting laws were reported. A total of 130 crew had gotten sick on those voyages and didn't report their illness in the required time period.
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In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as pneumonia to Middle East respiratory syndrome, known as MERS, and severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. While becoming infected with norovirus is an unpleasant experience, be reassured that most people feel better within one to three days. If you are unable to keep even small amounts of fluid down or have had very severe diarrhea (or both), you may be dehydrated. About three percent of people aboard the ship are affected by the norovirus, according to the cruise company. The navies of USA, UK, Australia, China, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, and Japan have some classes of military ships fitted with onboard hospitals.
Why are acute gastrointestinal illnesses including noroviruses associated with cruise ships?
Zika symptoms are fever, skin rash, pain in joints, conjunctivitis (pink eye). Perhaps now that Hong Kong is closing its China borders as the coronavirus spreads (as of this morning per CNN) these greedy and irresponsible cruise lines will bend to public pressure. Thousands of people confined to one cruise ship during an epidemic is a recipe for disaster even if the cruise line took peoples’ temperature prior to boarding. The incubation period for coronavirus is up to 14 days, so passengers may show no signs of illness prior to boarding, while still being able to transmit the illness. The Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas cruise ship is cutting its journey short after 475 passengers and crew members have been infected with a norovirus, Royal Caribbean Cruises announced Thursday. So it comes as no surprise that when CDC reports an illness outbreak on some vessel, big media sources do not immediately (or ever) respond to the news.
Outbreaks 2013 reports
Sickness outbreaks are considered as such if the percentage of infected people is over 3%. The virus is not seasonal and usually not serious (in medical terms). It hits 1 in 5 people annually and is the cause of ~50% of all foodborne illness outbreaks in the USA and for ~90% of all non-bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Here are listed latest cruise ship Norovirus outbreaks on passenger ships, with information what is and how to avoid Norovirus on cruise ships, CDC reports, and news updates.
Guidelines (specifically for pregnant women) were issued as well. Similar travel warnings were issued by other health agencies and governments. Generally, Zika is a mosquito-borne virus spread by Aedes aegypti (aka "yellow fever mosquito") and Aedes albopictus (aka "Asian tiger mosquito"). However, it became "cruise virus" since the decease can also result from intrauterine (contraceptive device), sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, lab exposure, organ/tissue transplantation, breast milk transmission.
MV Africa Mercy
Major (in some cases epidemic) illness outbreaks are among the "biggies" that can bring down the brand's reputation on the market. Cruise illness issues often result in lower booking rates and cheaper prices - which is bad for the business. Some cruise lines offer hand-sanitizer dispensers near the ship's restaurants, Lido/pool deck areas and other more crowded public spaces in their effort to keep a lid on sickness outbreaks. 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. Food that may be contaminated with norovirus should be discarded immediately.
How to avoid Norovirus on cruise ships?
ABC News' Julia Jacobo, Rachel Katz and Brendan Rand contributed to this report. “Our guests sail with us to have great vacations, and we are sorry this cruise fell short,” the statement reads. All of the current Oasis of the Seas passengers will receive a full refund, Royal Caribbean Cruises said in the statement. The Royal Caribbean advertises the Oasis of the Seas as one of the world’s largest ships.
Outbreaks 2016 reports
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. And they file such reports even if the "illness number" is zero. This protocol only confirms that the CDC knows everything about it. What causes Norovirus on cruise vessels is mainly contaminated food/water. When it comes to ships, it spreads mostly through physical contact with sick people or handling contaminated objects.
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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).
This is a neurodevelopmental disorder - babies are born with an underdeveloped head. Obviously, the first thing is to go to the ship's infirmary (medical center) and contact the doctor. You should drink plenty of water as dehydration is a side-effect of the illness.
These plus several other viruses may cause encephalitis (acute brain inflammation). 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. The crew member in question states that Seabourn and its parent company HAL/Carnival Corporation do not have any new medical procedures to screen passengers who may have been exposed to coronavirus. If you are sick from norovirus, drink plenty of liquids to replace fluid lost from vomiting and diarrhea.
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If you think you might be dehydrated due to vomiting or diarrhea, it's important to seek medical attention right away. The cruise line initially reported on Thursday that more than 250 passengers had fallen ill. The crew serves with short-term (2 weeks to 2 years) and long-term (min 2 years) contracts.
Several major cruise lines, including Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line and Seabourn Cruises, are refusing to cancel voyages which call on ports in China as concerns grow about the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus. The New York Times published an article this morning that Hong Kong has restricted travel from mainland China due to the deadly outbreak as infections reportedly exceed 4,500. However, unlike on land, most basic travel insurance policies don't cover medical treatments on cruise ships as they are not from the patient's primary caregiver. Purchasing cruise travel insurance with health coverage (medical clauses) is highly recommended. 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).
Attacking a hospital ship is considered a war crime, but enemy forces have the right to board them for inspections. Numerous studies confirm that a quick application of hand sanitizer doesn't kill the Norovirus. It takes about 30 sec of hard rubbing with hot water and soap (including under the nails) to wash it.
There is currently no vaccine against norovirus but there are steps you can take to prevent infection. Always make sure to wash your hands thoroughly, especially after using the bathroom or changing diapers; when eating, preparing, or handling food; and before giving yourself or someone else medicine. A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to the virus. On Sunday, a third U.S. case of the deadly coronavirus that has killed more than 50 people in China has been confirmed in Southern California.
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