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However, this industry’s lustrous appeal has recently been overshadowed by a surge in outbreaks of a particularly stubborn and contagious pathogen — Norovirus. One day after the C.D.C. announcement, as dozens of crew members and other passengers were confined to small cabins, infected and quarantined, thousands of revelers packed into ship bars, casinos and deck venues, partying like it was 2019. 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. The exact cause for the increase in the number of norovirus cases is not clear, but the increasing demand for cruises could be one explanation for the rise in reported cases, said Labus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 28 of Silver Nova’s 633 guests reported being ill during a voyage that began on March 31, along with one of the vessel’s crew members. While each virus has a different ability to transmit, norovirus is a highly transmissible infection.
Outbreak Updates for International Cruise Ships
This makes it easy for norovirus to spread rapidly from person to person. Norovirus — a common and contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea — is on the rise throughout the United States, especially on cruise ships. To try to help prevent the spread of stomach viruses at sea, the CDC randomly inspects cruise ships and scores them on a scale of 0 to 100 through the Vessel Sanitation Program. Inspection scores of 85 and lower are considered "not satisfactory" by the agency.
Outbreaks 2013 reports
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. Norovirus outbreaks spiked on cruise ships this year, with data showing more outbreaks happened between January and June than over the course of any other full calendar year in the last decade. 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.
People should avoid cruise travel regardless of their vaccination status, the CDC says
Silversea notified guests and crew of the outbreak via announcements and encouraged them to report cases and practice “good hand hygiene,” the CDC said. The line also isolated those who were sick and implemented heightened cleaning and disinfection measures. In April 2023, a multistate norovirus outbreak was linked to raw oysters from Texas, according to the CDC. In early June, reports circulated that more than 175 people became sick with norovirus on a Celebrity Cruise en route to Bermuda. The virus spreads easily and is typically contracted when someone accidentally ingests tiny particles of vomit or feces from someone who is infected with it.
The recent surge in Norovirus outbreaks underscores the necessity of vigilance and proper understanding of this issue, both for those planning a dream vacation at sea and for those in the cruise industry itself. Together, we can work towards ensuring that cruise ships remain a place of relaxation and enjoyment, rather than a breeding ground for this troublesome virus. For now, CDC guidance allows cruise ships to relax measures — such as mask usage — if at least 95% of passengers and 95% of the cruise ship crew are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), every cruise ship must have a place to isolate any passengers who have a contagious disease. This step helps them minimize the risk of spreading the disease to others.
Infection Prevention and Control
The innovative ship cleaning process is based on photocatalytic antibacterial spray that when activated by light kills viruses, bacteria, airborne microbes, mould. The disinfecting product and technology were developed by the Danish company ACT Global AS (Copenhagen). The spray is chemical-free, odourless, transparent and can be applied to all surfaces. Quarantining the ill passengers and crew to their cabins is mandatory (at least for 48 hours) to slow the outbreak's spread. Failing to comply with the crew's orders results in fines or even discharge from the ship. More cruise ships have reached "level yellow" — the level where the CDC investigates a ship's COVID outbreak.
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“Infected people spread the virus widely and make it difficult for public health officials to contain the virus,” Boden-Albala said. Exposure to less than 100 norovirus particles can make someone sick, and infected people typically shed billions of particles, according to the CDC. Some people are at higher risk of developing severe norovirus symptoms — these include infants, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems, Ostrosky noted.
That means data for norovirus on cruise ships is more readily available than for other entities. It's easy to make norovirus case numbers sound alarming, but context matters. For example, 100 cases on a single ship might seem like a lot, but on a vessel like Oasis of the Seas, which carries more than 5,400 passengers, 100 cases are only about 2% of the onboard population. Shipboard medical service fees vary and are usually set by medical practitioners. In most cruise ship hospitals, some supplies and medications are provided to passengers and crew for free - like aspirin, seasickness pills, small bandages.
Why is Norovirus a problem on Cruise Ships?
"It is especially important that travelers who are at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide, regardless of vaccination status," the agency added. 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. CDC requests that cruise ships submit a cumulative ARI report (even if no ARI cases have occurred) preferably within 24 hours before arrival in the U.S. [7], and sooner if a voyage’s crew or passenger ARI attack rate reaches 3% [8].
She noted that hand sanitizers do not work well against norovirus and that they are not a substitute for handwashing. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. In February 2023, for instance, a school of K-8 students in Livonia, Michigan shut down as over 115 students and staff members contracted this virus, according to reports.
Norovirus Cruise Ship Outbreaks Already Reach 10-Year High In 2023 - Forbes
Norovirus Cruise Ship Outbreaks Already Reach 10-Year High In 2023.
Posted: Fri, 14 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
If you are around a family member who is sick or taking care of someone wiping down surfaces that are shared can also help decrease transmission of this virus within a household. While current data suggests we are currently within the seasonal range, the CDC reports that this is an increase compared to the past years. Norovirus is an illness that tends to have a wintertime seasonality with an uptake usually around February. Data on this page are from ship surveillance reports and from CDC-led investigations.
However, in March 2022 the agency dropped the health notice, though it strongly urged against cruising without a booster shot. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, so far this year there have been 12 outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhea that have reached the threshold for public notification on cruise ships visiting U.S. ports. The tally has already exceeded each yearly total number of outbreaks reported from 2017 to 2019. The hotel staff is required to implement special cleaning and disinfection procedures for sanitizing the whole ship.
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