How to Avoid Getting Norovirus on Cruise Ships
Table Of Content
Norovirus often isn’t just your typical I’m-feeling-a-little-sick-so-I-may-pass-on-shuffleboard type of gastroenteritis. No, a norovirus infection can consist of projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhea. Similarly, you’ve got to be careful about anything that could explode in your pants.
Gastrointestinal illnesses
And even with safety measures in place, cruises come with residual risks that can't be ignored, like unavoidable close quarters and potential for breakthrough infections. For the most part, Norovirus outbreaks are the results of passengers setting sail sick ... Gray status means the ship's health and safety protocols have not been reviewed or confirmed by the CDC.
How does norovirus spread?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gives cruise ships a color-coded safety status — green, yellow, orange and red — based on reports of cases of Covid or Covid-like illness. The agency also indicates when there are investigations into outbreaks on ships. You can check the CDC's website for a ship's Covid status before planning or boarding a cruise.
CDC cruise ship Norovirus reports
Norovirus Outbreaks Surge on Cruises: Here's How to Avoid the Bug - TODAY
Norovirus Outbreaks Surge on Cruises: Here's How to Avoid the Bug.
Posted: Thu, 13 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Cruise Critic members advise packing extra soap, a supply of Lysol and a bottle of Pepto-Bismol (just in case). Stick to bottled water, and don't share drinking glasses and eating utensils. Likewise, Mathis says vacationers shouldn’t let the fear of norovirus keep them from taking a vacation. 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. Cruise experts say several factors may be contributing to the rise in cases. For one, cruising has soared this year, with the number of passengers expected to surpass the total that sailed in 2019, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.
Seasickness
Virus particles can contaminate drinking water that isn't treated properly or pools when people poop in the water. Rachel Nania writes about health care and health policy for AARP. Previously she was a reporter and editor for WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. A recipient of a Gracie Award and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, she also participated in a dementia fellowship with the National Press Foundation. However, antihistamines can interact with other medications and often cause drowsiness and decreased mental alertness, and the nonsedating ones appear to be less effective, the CDC says. Your doctor may also prescribe or recommend a patch that can help prevent nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness. Read on to discover some common illnesses you can pick up on a cruise — and what you can do to help keep yourself healthy on your next getaway.
Another possibility is the cruise ship to cancel all the itinerary's foreign ports of call and to return to its US home-port before the end of the voyage. VSP (abbrev "Vessel Sanitation Program") monitors CDC's observations on illness patterns for GI (gastrointestinal) outbreaks on passenger shipping vessels (ferries and cruise 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. Like a virus, Norwalk can't be effectively treated with antibiotics, making it extremely difficult to eliminate in closed environments - like cruise vessels. Hand hygiene is key to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus — but the way you clean your hands matters, experts note.
Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships
“We believe the gastrointestinal illness originated from a shoreside restaurant in Iceland where a group of guests dined during their free time,” the cruise line said in a statement. After docking in New York, the ship was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and continued its scheduled sailings. 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.
They are also required to communicate to the CDC, within 24 hours of arrival at a U.S. port, "the number of passengers and crew members who reported diarrhea to the ship's medical staff" during that voyage. 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.
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. Yeah, even though norovirus is known as the “Winter vomiting bug,” it’s activity is not necessarily confined to the colder months.
Data on this page are from ship surveillance reports and from CDC-led investigations. Caroline Kee is a health reporter at TODAY based in New York City. An MSC Cruises representative told Insider at the time that the cruise line had launched an internal investigation based on the inspector's concerns and taken immediate corrective actions. Norovirus cases have spiked across the United States this year, which some experts say is the result of ending COVID-19 restrictions.
In the vast majority of people, norovirus symptoms will last several days and resolve on their own. However, as travel surges this summer, travel-related illnesses are expected to surge, as well. “I think our travel frenzy after COVID is partially fueling this continued spread (of norovirus),” says Ostrosky. Summer travel has returned and people are flocking to cruises again, with more than 31.5 million passengers expected to sail in 2023. It can survive for long periods of time on surfaces and is resistant to common disinfectants. Flu season spiked early this year in the U.S., along with another respiratory illness that can be particularly dangerous for older adults, respiratory syncytial virus, which is known as RSV.
Guidelines (specifically for pregnant women) were issued as well. Similar travel warnings were issued by other health agencies and governments. Surfaces or objects that are contaminated with norovirus can be cleaned with a high-level disinfectant like bleach, per Ostrosky. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about any medications you should pack, such as loperamide (Imodium) to help treat diarrhea or dimenhydrinate (Dramamine, Gravol) for nausea.
There are no internationally specified regulations governing ship infirmaries and medical staffing. Each company has its own standards provided for its passengers' healthcare. Find more information about gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on land and at sea. In the past 10 years, only three other cruise ships have received sanitation scores below 70, CDC records show.
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