Gastrointestinal illness Norovirus affects 28 passengers on Silversea's ship Silver Nova

Table Of Content

• Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships in 2024
• Outbreaks 2018 reports
• Gastrointestinal illness/Norovirus affects 28 passengers on Silversea's ship Silver Nova
• These are the cruise ships with the best — and worst — sanitation scores so far this year
• We’re addicted to naked cruises and have already spent $40K — here’s why we’ll never do a clothed one again

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.

Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships in 2024

The CDC said 88 vessels are now either under investigation or observation, but it did not specify how many COVID-19 cases have been reported. Zimring also suggests considering smaller cruises, which tend not to have as many disease outbreaks. Nearly 600 people sickened on Caribbean cruise likely have norovirus. 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. Cruise lines employ crews dedicated to keeping public areas and high-touch surfaces clean. Galley crews and waiters receive extensive training on food safety and handling.

Outbreaks 2018 reports

There have already been an unlucky 13 recorded norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships under U.S. jurisdiction so far in 2023. That’s the highest tally in 10-years, ever since 16 such outbreaks occurred in 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program. And with half of 2023 still to go, there’s a good chance that the 2012 count will be surpassed sometime later this year.

Gastrointestinal illness/Norovirus affects 28 passengers on Silversea's ship Silver Nova

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). Generally, bigger and newer ships offer larger and better-equipped medical facilities and are served by bigger infirmary staff.

These are the cruise ships with the best — and worst — sanitation scores so far this year

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. According to the CDC, the most common settings for norovirus outbreaks are health care facilities, restaurants or catered events, schools, day cares and, of course, cruise ships. Outbreaks of the stomach bug have surged on cruise ships this year, reaching the highest levels seen in 10 years.

We’re addicted to naked cruises and have already spent $40K — here’s why we’ll never do a clothed one again

Infected passengers who don't wash their hands after coughing, sneezing or using the restroom are the reason those surfaces become contaminated in the first place. An excessive number of news reports exist for norovirus cases on ships, making it seem to the unsuspecting public that cruise vessels are dirty or you're likely to get sick if you sail. To reduce your risk of catching it, the CDC recommends washing your hands often, getting plenty of rest, drinking sufficient water, and leaving areas where people are showing symptoms. When a single case of norovirus appears on a cruise ship, it can quickly become an outbreak affecting hundreds or even thousands of people. This can happen incredibly quickly due to the confined nature of a cruise ship and the frequency of close interactions among passengers and crew. In light of these recent developments, it’s imperative to explore and understand the nature of Norovirus — what it is, why it’s a recurring issue aboard cruise ships, and its impact on the cruise industry.

There have currently been 13 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships in 2023. The most recent outbreak occurred on a Viking Cruises ship, which traveled from Iceland and docked in New York City. About 13% of its passengers and several crew members became ill with the virus while on board. During that time frame, approximately 127 million passengers sailed on the 252 cruise ships under VSP jurisdiction. Of those 127 million cruisers, 26,450 reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness while on board. It sounds like a large number, but it amounts to just 0.02% (two one-hundredths of one percent) of cruisers throughout those 14 years, with the total number of cases decreasing from 4,507 in 2006 to 1,201 in 2019.

Health officials at the CDC determined that norovirus caused the outbreak after Viking Cruises collected and sent specimens to the agency's laboratory for testing. 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. The most common symptoms of norovirus are vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain, Dr. Albert Ko, infectious disease physician and professor of public health, epidemiology and medicine at Yale School of Public Health, tells TODAY.com.

Cruise ship barred from docking amid outbreak of stomach illness - NBC News

Cruise ship barred from docking amid outbreak of stomach illness.

Posted: Mon, 26 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Less commonly, norovirus may cause a headache, muscle aches, or a low-grade fever — symptoms usually develop within one to two days after exposure to the virus, per the CDC. The most severe outbreaks were reported in Brazil, with an alarming surge in newborns with microcephaly. If the mother is infected, the virus may cause microcephaly in newborns. This is a neurodevelopmental disorder - babies are born with an underdeveloped head. Zika virus (aka ZIKV) is a Flavivirus - from the genus of the viruses named West Nile, dengue, tick-borne encephalitis, yellow fever.

Among those are schools, hospitals, nursing homes, dormitories, prisons, big resorts, bigger passenger ships (including cruise ferries). Norovirus is often branded as "cruise ship virus" simply because on ships health officials are required to report every gastrointestinal illness incident. This means Norovirus outbreaks are reported more quickly on ships than on land. Just for comparison, the virus can afflict as many as 3000 people per day in only one big city, which is about the passenger capacity of a typical modern cruiser. The threat of norovirus on cruise ships is a serious issue that has both health and economic impacts. The confined environment of a cruise ship, combined with the virus’s highly contagious nature, creates a significant challenge.

If you'd like to check out the outbreak information, you can find a detailed list of ships that have had acute gastroenteritis outbreaks (many of which were caused by norovirus), listed by year, about halfway down the CDC's outbreak page. In a study of acute gastroenteritis cases from 2006 to 2019 (before the cruise industry's COVID-19 shutdown), the CDC found that the number of cases on ships decreased over those 14 years. It also noted that the number of cases tends to be higher on larger ships and on voyages of a week or longer. As part of the program, ships are required to adhere to stringent health and safety protocols that dictate everything from the cleaning of high-touch areas to how food is stored in freezers, refrigerators and galleys. At least 28 of the Silver Nova ship’s 633 guests and one of its crew members reported feeling sick during their 16-day voyage from Peru, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. Twenty-eight guests on Silversea Cruises’ Silver Nova, along with one crew member, fell ill.

Moreover, the cruise industry often finds itself under scrutiny following an outbreak, which can affect the public’s perception and willingness to book cruises, ultimately impacting the industry’s bottom line. For the most part, Norovirus outbreaks are the results of passengers setting sail sick ... According to the CDC, the incubation period for norovirus — the time it takes between infection and the onset of symptoms — is between 12 and 48 hours. Typically, norovirus lasts for one to three days, though you can spread the illness for a few days after. “Norovirus is one of the few viruses that doesn’t get deactivated by alcohol.

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. 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. CruiseMapper's Norovirus survey is based on official data from CDC.gov (USA's "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention").

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. 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. A few years ago an experimental Norovirus vaccine (applied as nasal spray) was developed by the "Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology" (Arizona State University). None of the ships so far appear to have so many cases that they would overwhelm medical resources on board and require a return to port.

The CDC's tally of norovirus outbreaks so far confirmed on cruise ships in 2023 is already higher than any annual outbreak tallies since 2012, when the health agency recorded 16 outbreaks. 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. P&O Cruises also reported an outbreak on its Arcadia cruise ship this year.