Cruise ship passengers live in small spaces and cannot avoid contact with other passengers.
Yes, some people still wear masks on cruise ships and cleaning protocols have been greatly enhanced, but that hasn’t eliminated illness on cruise ships. Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships are at their highest level in more than a decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
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In December alone, norovirus outbreaks were reported on five cruise ships from Carnival’s Cunard Lines, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, affecting hundreds of passengers. An outbreak is declared when 3% or more of the passengers and crew on board develop gastrointestinal problems.
Norovirus on ships is not pleasant, but these outbreaks are largely under control.
“Gastrointestinal illness is a common term for acute gastroenteritis (AGE). It is very important to report gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships. It helps to detect GI illnesses quickly when passengers and crew report their symptoms to the ship’s medical center. outbreak of disease.
- 3 or more loose stools in 24 hours, or more than the normal frequency for the person, or
- Vomiting accompanied by one of the following symptoms: diarrhea, muscle pain, headache, abdominal cramping, or fever.
The CDC says cruise ships are required to report these cases to us.
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How to prevent norovirus
Not every AGE outbreak is norovirus. However, many of the outbreaks on cruise ships in 2024 were caused by a highly aggressive form of norovirus.
“Norovirus is often a cause of gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships, but when we begin investigating, we don’t always know the cause of an outbreak. Finding the causative agent (pathogen) causing an outbreak can take time. When an outbreak occurs, disease People whose symptoms meet the case definition are asked to provide stool or vomit samples, which are tested to identify the pathogen, the CDC added.
The most important thing passengers can do to stop the spread of norovirus or any other virus on board is not to hide their illness. If symptoms occur, it is important to go to a medical center.
This may mean you end up in quarantine, but it’s better to ruin your holiday than ruin it for many others.
The CDC also recommends that cruise ship passengers (and anyone in public places) wash their hands more frequently.
“Handwashing keeps you healthy and prevents the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections,” the federal agency said.
Germs can be spread from person to person or from surfaces when you:
- Touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- Preparing or consuming food and drinks with unwashed hands
- touching surfaces or objects that have germs on them
- Blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing with your hands, then touching other people’s hands or common objects
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Many cruise ships offer hand-washing stations, and these are valuable, but hand-washing is the better option.
“In most cases, hand washing with soap and water is the best way to remove germs. If soap and water are not available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if soap and water are available. By looking at the product label, the disinfectant contains at least 60% alcohol.
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