Norovirus Cruise Ship
Ive had only 2 situations when I saw cases of norovirus.
Norovirus cruise ship. About 1 in 5 cases of acute gastroenteritis which leads to diarrhea and vomiting is caused by norovirus. Incorrectly Called the Cruise Ship Disease. Once exposed infected people are initially asymptomatic even though they are contagious.
The cruise ship which was traveling along the coast of Southern California and Mexico had an outbreak of norovirus causing gastrointestinal illness in many crew members and passengers. The worst outbreak of norovirus on a cruise ship occurred onboard Royal Caribbeans Explorer of the Seas in January 2014. We documented transmission by food and person-to-person contact.
Incorrectly Called the Cruise Ship Disease. People often associate cruise ships with acute gastrointestinal illnesses such as norovirus but acute gastrointestinal illness is relatively infrequent on cruise ships. One client asked me it safe to go on the cruise ship.
Norovirus outbreaks are prevalent in long-term care and other health-care facilities restaurants and catered events schools and institutional settings as well as cruise ships and other transportation settings Hall et al 2011. From 2008 to 2014 74 million passengers sailed on cruise ships in the Vessel Sanitation Programs jurisdiction. It spreads in locations where people are congregated into enclosed spaces nursing homes hospitals daycares and schools hotels dormitoriesand yes cruise ships.
Noro is not a Cruise ship illness. About 1 in 5 cases of acute gastroenteritis which leads to diarrhea and vomiting is caused by norovirus. With cruise ship outbreaks regularly appearing in the news awareness of Norovirus -- an extremely common and highly contagious virus that causes gastroenteritis -- has been significantly raised.
Personally Ive made 70 cruise and ship inspections. Recent Cases of Norovirus on Cruise Ships. Persistence of virus despite sanitization onboard including introdu.
