Not all smooth sailing lately aboard cruise ships. (Photo by Sheila Jellison on Unsplash)

Norovirus Continues to Plague Cruise Industry

Not all smooth sailing lately aboard cruise ships. (Photo by Sheila Jellison on Unsplash)
 
 

Sixty people fell ill with norovirus aboard Holland America Lines’ MS Volendam during a cruise that departed from Miami on Jan. 6, the fourth outbreak of the food-borne gastrointestinal illness for the Carnival-owned cruise line since December and part of a broader rash of norovirus cases reported nationally in the U.S. this winter.

Norovirus Doesn’t Take Vacations

The latest outbreak affected both passengers and crew members, but only a fraction of the 1,370 guests onboard the cruise ship. Norovirus cases also were reported in December on Holland America’s Eurodam, Rotterdam and Zuiderdam, as well as on ships belonging to Cunard and Princess Cruises.

After the Volendam outbreak, a spokesperson for Holland America said the company had “initiated enhanced sanitation protocols in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to minimize further transmission, including continuous disinfection of the ship.” Among other steps, sick passengers and crew members were isolated to prevent further spread of the illness, according to the CDC.

The current rash of norovirus cases hasn’t been limited to cruise lines. Most recently, California health officials reported that at least 28 people were sickened by the virus in a shelter established after the Los Angeles wildfires, and norovirus cases have been reported in Texas, Illinois, North Carolina and other states.

Especially prevalent in the winter months and sometimes referred to as the “winter vomiting disease” or “stomach virus,” norovirus typically is spread by eating contaminated food, touching surfaces where the living virus resides, or coming into contact with people who have the illness.

Characterized by vomiting and diarrhea, the disease spreads easily in confined spaces like cruise ships, camps, dormitories, and hotels but can be prevented through careful and frequent hand-washing with soap and cleaning surfaces with bleach-based products. However, alcohol-based hand sanitizers don’t kill the virus.