Outbreak on Princess Cruises ship: More than 300 fall ill on Ruby Princess cruise, CDC says

Table Of Content

• A year ago, we asked 6 questions about COVID-19. Here’s how the answers evolved
• Cruise Norovirus outbreaks updates
• C.D.C. Investigating Gastrointestinal Illness on Luxury Cruise Ship
• A new U.S. tool maps where heat will be dangerous for your health
• I Spent 7 Days on My First Adults-Only Virgin Voyages Cruise

Such viral/bacterial outbreak incidents affect the vacation experience of thousands of people, being packed up in a floating resort for many days on end. In confined spaces with frequent passenger turnover (like big capacity cruise ships), it is easy for diseases to spread - whether food- or air-borne, or otherwise. However, there's a tendency to cover up the severity of this issue. 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%.

A year ago, we asked 6 questions about COVID-19. Here’s how the answers evolved

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.

Cruise Norovirus outbreaks updates

Three of the largest companies in the cruise ship industry, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival, all lost money in 2021 and are expected to suffer losses again this year. All the companies’ stock prices dropped last week after the CDC changed its guidance, although they have slightly recovered this week. The Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Sunrise ship is seen in the port of Miami on Dec. 23, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

C.D.C. Investigating Gastrointestinal Illness on Luxury Cruise Ship

The total number of infected was 5542 (of those 5079 passengers and 463 crew). In 2013, the number of reported illness outbreaks on cruise ships was 22. The total number of infected was 2385 (of those 2249 passengers and 136 crew).

A new U.S. tool maps where heat will be dangerous for your health

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. VSP doesn't charge fees for consultations related to shipping facilities renovations or new ships. Norovirus on ships is spread through contaminated water, foods and surfaces (public restrooms, railings, doorknobs, handles, board games-cards-puzzles-toys, etc). Norovirus withstands chlorine, prolonged exposure outside the body, as well as temperature extremes.

CDC reviews cruise ship in S.F. after passengers, crew get stomach illness - San Francisco Chronicle

CDC reviews cruise ship in S.F. after passengers, crew get stomach illness.

Posted: Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Norovirus cases aboard cruise ships were on a steady decline between 2006 and 2019, according to CDC data. When the Covid pandemic hit, the CDC made a travel health notice advising against cruise ship travel. Because of this, there were no norovirus outbreaks in 2020 and 2021. However, in March 2022 the agency dropped the health notice, though it strongly urged against cruising without a booster shot.

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Hand hygiene is key to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus — but the way you clean your hands matters, experts note. It has to be with soap and water, because alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not effective against norovirus. Norovirus is highly contagious and can spread directly through sick people and contaminated surfaces, food, or drinks.

Outbreaks 2016 reports

Ferry's train deck was reconstructed and converted into a hospital. The ship project started in March 1999 with the vessel's acquisition through a donation from Balcraig Foundation (UK), which purchased the boat for US$6,5 million. Both emergency and basic care are available on the ship 24 hours a day. Infirmary's equipment and med supplies provide only emergency response and basic treatments in order to stabilize the passenger until transferred ashore.

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. The reported cases are totals for the entire voyage and do not represent how many people are actively sick at any one time, the CDC said. Queen Victoria is a Vista-class cruise ship that has an ongoing 107-night voyage where passengers can elect to join specific segments. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), norovirus symptoms started appearing among passengers last January 22 as the ship was in Fort Lauderdale.

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. 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. 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.

The cruise terminal and the near area were thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.

Norwegian Cruise Lines confirmed 10 cases among Norwegian Breakaway passengers and crew members on Saturday, and then seven more on Sunday, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The Norwegian Dawn has more than 2,100 passengers and 1,000 crew on board. About 2,000 of those travelers were set to complete their journey on Sunday by disembarking in Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean just east of Madagascar, the Ports Authority said.

Since February, multiple international cruises have been implicated in reports of COVID-19 cases, including at least 60 cases in the United States from Nile River cruises in Egypt (Figure 2). Secondary community-acquired cases linked to returned passengers on cruises have also been reported (CDC, unpublished data, 2020). Outbreaks of the stomach bug have surged on cruise ships this year, reaching the highest levels seen in 10 years. Since January 2023, there have been 13 confirmed norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships under U.S. jurisdiction — that's more outbreaks in six months than there have been during any full year since 2012, according to data from the U.S. The following "health advisory" list of recommended actions is often issued during gastrointestinal illness outbreak or on embarkation day (of the next scheduled voyage). It has important suggestions on how to avoid spreading the cruise ship virus infection.