Norwalk hits Royal Caribbean - take precautions Dis'ers !

[GenieDana]

http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/10601135.htm



Posted on Sun, Jan. 09, 2005 - Tallahasse Democrat





Virus sickens 116 on Caribbean cruise


FORT LAUDERDALE - A total of 108 passengers and eight crew members became sick with a stomach virus on a five-day Caribbean cruise that returned home on schedule Saturday, Royal Caribbean International said.

The mass outbreak of a Norwalk-type virus aboard the Enchantment of the Seas was traced to a man who had symptoms two days before boarding the ship on Monday, company spokesman Michael Sheehan said. A special cleaning of the 1,950-passenger ship was expected to delay Saturday's scheduled departure no longer than a few hours.

Passengers preparing to board were given letters explaining the cleaning delay and were cautioned about the need for proper hand-washing during the cold and flu season.

The cleaning process involves use of disinfectants, especially in "high-touch" areas such as countertops, railings, exercise equipment, remote controls, light switches, elevator buttons and computer keyboards.

Norwalk-like viruses, which affect 23 million Americans a year, were blamed for a rash of cruise-ship illnesses more than a year ago, prompting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate several lines.

Symptoms, which include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, last up to 48 hours and require no special medical treatment. Sick Enchantment passengers were given over-the-counter medications.

 

[SeaSpray]

I hope the virus can be contained this time and not become a wide-spread problem like it was a few years ago Thanks for the article.

 

[Rustyflwr3]

Just to let you all know... My fiance and I just got off the Disney Wonder yesturday morning. First time cruisers, and what a wonderful trip it was! Anyways, a few hours after disembarking, my fiance was nauseous, which included some vomitting, and had a headache. He still has all of these symptoms. I don't know if this is Norwalk, the flu, or just some random sickness, but I figured I would give a heads up.

Jess

 

[Luckymommyx2]

I really hope that they can contain this. I remember all the reports on this board the last time Norwalk hit--both the DCL and WDW. Jess, I hope your
fiance is feeling better.

 

[TheWog]

Enchantment here we come. Hopefully we won't catch it.

 

[MarkRG]

Disney learned their lesson, they are far more agressive about dealing with it now, from your cabin steward doing extra sanitation procedures to your cabin, to people who do nothing but wipe all hand contact surfaces down regularly with a disinfectant, to a number of other transparent to the guests things, along with the extra hand sanitation stuff around the ship as well.

 

[wasabi girl]

You know the "Norwalk Virus" is on a list of foodborne illnesses. It is another name for food poisoning. Things are scary these days...I'm guessing Disney has very high standards but are not immune....

 

[MarkRG]

Food poisoning can be misdiagnosed as Norwalk, but Norwalk is not entirely a foodborne virus. It is mostly spread thru people not handwashing enough.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/norovirus-qa.htm

It is released from an infected person thru their stool and vomit. Who then either they don't handwash enough or people with them don't and then touch surfaces or food and infect it. Then other persons touch same surfaces without washing hands or eat infected food and get sick.

Wash hands very frequently and bring Purell hand sanitizer which is known to prevent it.

Also, the restaruants have hand sanitizer wipes at the entrance as well.

 

[logan1_2000]

The last time there was a big breakout, that I recall, was two years ago, just before our last cruise on the Magic. The Magic had been taken off-line for a week and a cruise cancelled as a result. And when we sailed a couple weeks later, there were handwashing signs everywhere, CM's in latex gloves handling the drink station and manning the buffet lines/handling the serving utensils, and it was fine.

Best wishes to the Wog on the Enchantment--we sail that in a year, and though I know it will be fine we'll carry the travel purell (or whatever the hand sanitizer stuff is called that we toted as a precaution last time) when we sail the Wonder next week, and emphasize hand washing with DS about a hundred times a day.

And we'll all be fine.