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"It is especially important that travelers who are at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide, regardless of vaccination status," the agency added. Several weeks prior, a Celebrity Summit cruise ship reported an outbreak of norovirus that sickened more than 150 passengers and 25 crew members, per the CDC. It was the third norovirus outbreak on a Celebrity Cruises vessel this year. Another popular cruise line, Royal Caribbean International, has reported four outbreaks since January. CDC requests that cruise ships submit a cumulative ARI report (even if no ARI cases have occurred) preferably within 24 hours before arrival in the U.S. [7], and sooner if a voyage’s crew or passenger ARI attack rate reaches 3% [8].
Why are there so many cruise norovirus reports on the news?
That means data for norovirus on cruise ships is more readily available than for other entities. It's easy to make norovirus case numbers sound alarming, but context matters. For example, 100 cases on a single ship might seem like a lot, but on a vessel like Oasis of the Seas, which carries more than 5,400 passengers, 100 cases are only about 2% of the onboard population. Shipboard medical service fees vary and are usually set by medical practitioners. In most cruise ship hospitals, some supplies and medications are provided to passengers and crew for free - like aspirin, seasickness pills, small bandages.
How to treat stomach viruses
Silversea notified guests and crew of the outbreak via announcements and encouraged them to report cases and practice “good hand hygiene,” the CDC said. The line also isolated those who were sick and implemented heightened cleaning and disinfection measures. In April 2023, a multistate norovirus outbreak was linked to raw oysters from Texas, according to the CDC. In early June, reports circulated that more than 175 people became sick with norovirus on a Celebrity Cruise en route to Bermuda. 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.
What is cruise ship norovirus?
Norovirus is typically spread by ingesting small particles of fecal matter, eating contaminated food, touching contaminated objects or surfaces and then touching the mouth or eyes, or having direct contact with an infected person. An infected person is the most contagious when symptoms are present and within the first few days of feeling better. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, symptoms of norovirus infection include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, muscle aches, low-grade fever and headache. 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. 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. 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.
She noted that hand sanitizers do not work well against norovirus and that they are not a substitute for handwashing. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. 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.
Nearly 30 Silversea Cruise passengers sickened by outbreak on board - Fox News
Nearly 30 Silversea Cruise passengers sickened by outbreak on board.
Posted: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 16:36:00 GMT [source]
“Infected people spread the virus widely and make it difficult for public health officials to contain the virus,” Boden-Albala said. Exposure to less than 100 norovirus particles can make someone sick, and infected people typically shed billions of particles, according to the CDC. Some people are at higher risk of developing severe norovirus symptoms — these include infants, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems, Ostrosky noted.
More cruise ships are under CDC investigation following COVID-19 outbreaks on board
On cruise ships, health officials are legally required to track any illnesses that occur, while this same reporting is not required on land. For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that outbreaks are reported more frequently on sea than on land. 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. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which keeps a record of annual case counts dating back to 1994.
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. Quarantining the ill passengers and crew to their cabins is mandatory (at least for 48 hours) to slow the outbreak's spread. Failing to comply with the crew's orders results in fines or even discharge from the ship. More cruise ships have reached "level yellow" — the level where the CDC investigates a ship's COVID outbreak.
Not only do they inspect a cruise ship’s medical center, but they also monitor their portable water systems, dining rooms, housekeeping procedures, heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and more. 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.
▪ Sometimes known as the “stomach flu” or “stomach bug,” noroviruses are a very contagious virus that often causes vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain. However, the virus is not related to the flu, which is caused by influenza. The bug thrives in crowded conditions and is spread through food and by touching contaminated surfaces. The easiest way to avoid the ailment is to wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, before eating and after touching surfaces touched by others.
About 13% of its passengers and several crew members became ill with the virus while on board. Specifically, the medical staff from each cruise ship must submit a report with the number of ill passengers within 24 to 36 hours of its arrival at a U.S. port from a foreign port, even when no cases of gastrointestinal illness are present. They must also submit reports if 2% or more of the passengers and crew become ill and the ship is scheduled to visit a U.S. port within 15 days. If the number hits 3% or more, cases must be reported to the CDC even if the ship is not scheduled to call on a U.S. port within the next 15 days. Two days later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Americans to avoid travel on cruise ships, regardless of their vaccination status.
Mathis says it might even make sense for passengers to avoid the buffet and dine only at their ship’s sit-down restaurants. Kosciolek says she has made it a practice to wash her hands before going to the buffet, and then washing them again before she eats, since buffet implements aren’t sanitized after each passenger touches them. Based on the math, you have less chance of catching a gastrointestinal illness on a ship than at many places you're likely to visit on land. For more information, read updated resources for clinicians and guidance on the medical evaluation and management of people with COVID-19, influenza, or RSV are available on CDC’s websites. [4] Back-to-back sailing refers to passengers who stay on board for two or more voyages.
This makes it easy for norovirus to spread rapidly from person to person. Norovirus — a common and contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea — is on the rise throughout the United States, especially on cruise ships. To try to help prevent the spread of stomach viruses at sea, the CDC randomly inspects cruise ships and scores them on a scale of 0 to 100 through the Vessel Sanitation Program. Inspection scores of 85 and lower are considered "not satisfactory" by the agency.
However, this industry’s lustrous appeal has recently been overshadowed by a surge in outbreaks of a particularly stubborn and contagious pathogen — Norovirus. One day after the C.D.C. announcement, as dozens of crew members and other passengers were confined to small cabins, infected and quarantined, thousands of revelers packed into ship bars, casinos and deck venues, partying like it was 2019. 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. The exact cause for the increase in the number of norovirus cases is not clear, but the increasing demand for cruises could be one explanation for the rise in reported cases, said Labus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 28 of Silver Nova’s 633 guests reported being ill during a voyage that began on March 31, along with one of the vessel’s crew members. While each virus has a different ability to transmit, norovirus is a highly transmissible infection.
The recent surge in Norovirus outbreaks underscores the necessity of vigilance and proper understanding of this issue, both for those planning a dream vacation at sea and for those in the cruise industry itself. Together, we can work towards ensuring that cruise ships remain a place of relaxation and enjoyment, rather than a breeding ground for this troublesome virus. For now, CDC guidance allows cruise ships to relax measures — such as mask usage — if at least 95% of passengers and 95% of the cruise ship crew are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), every cruise ship must have a place to isolate any passengers who have a contagious disease. This step helps them minimize the risk of spreading the disease to others.
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