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Home > Archive > HIV Aids > December 2006 > norovirus asea
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Carnival Cruise Ship Hit
By Virus - 700 Taken Ill
From The Chicago Tribune
11-17-6
More than 700 people aboard a trans-Atlantic cruise have fallen ill with flu-like symptoms,
cruise line officials said. The outbreak, thought to be [caused by] a norovirus, struck people
aboard the Carnival Cruise Lines' Liberty, according to a statement issued by the Miami
company. The ship left Rome on Fri 3 Nov 2006 with about 2800 paying passengers and more than
1150 crew members. The boat is due in Ft. Lauderdale on Sun 19 Nov 2006.
"Within 24 hours of sailing, they had a lot of people sick. It has tapered off considerably
over the past couple days," said David Forney of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
in Atlanta. The U.S. agency flew 2 medical epidemiologists and an environmental health officer
to the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, where the ship was in port on Thu 16 Nov 2006.
Noroviruses affect 23 million Americans annually, according to the CDC. A dozen incidents of
the illness have been reported on cruise ships so far in 2006. Spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz
said Carnival hasn't nailed down the outbreak's origin, though she noted 2 passengers
acknowledged getting sick in Rome prior to boarding. "We really ratcheted up cleaning and
sanitation to prevent the spread by common surfaces," de la Cruz said. Still, the closed
environment of a cruise ship is ripe for the spread of such infections.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi
-0611170213nov17,1,7622835.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
Noroviruses are enteric viruses present in the stool or vomit of infected people, and cause
severe diarrhea, nausea and vomiting (sometimes called "winter-vomiting disease"). These
viruses take their name from the town of Norwalk where a notable outbreak occurred. The virus
can be spread through the air. Most people recover with no lasting side effects. Severe
dehydration can be a problem, especially for the very young, the very old and people with
weakened immune systems. Prevention of transmission is best achieved by thorough hand-washing,
and rubbing hands for at least 24 seconds with soap and warm water, is the best way to prevent
the spread, especially after using the bathroom or [before] preparing food.
Epidemics occur frequently during winter months in situations where people from diverse
backgrounds congregate in close proximity such as on board cruise ships. This particular
outbreak is significant on account of its extent and duration.- Mod.CP
Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD
Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
Univ of West Indies
Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message board at:
http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php
Also my new website:
http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/
MainPage
http://www.rense.com
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| brainfart 2006-12-06, 9:26 pm |
| Death wrote...
> Carnival Cruise Ship Hit
> By Virus - 700 Taken Ill
>
> From The Chicago Tribune
> 11-17-6
>
> More than 700 people aboard a trans-Atlantic cruise have fallen ill with flu-like symptoms,
> cruise line officials said. The outbreak, thought to be [caused by] a norovirus, struck people
> aboard the Carnival Cruise Lines' Liberty, according to a statement issued by the Miami
> company. The ship left Rome on Fri 3 Nov 2006 with about 2800 paying passengers and more than
> 1150 crew members. The boat is due in Ft. Lauderdale on Sun 19 Nov 2006.
If it had been leased out as a gay cruise and 700 passengers contracted HIV in
the ship's sauna the media would be celebrating it, and instead of quarantining
the ship and tracking down the source of infection, the government would escort
it into harbor in parade fashion complete with fireworks and a brass band.
> Epidemics occur frequently during winter months in situations where people from diverse
> backgrounds congregate in close proximity such as on board cruise ships. This particular
> outbreak is significant on account of its extent and duration.- Mod.CP
The neat thing is that chances are at least one sickened passenger was also HIV+
and that the norovirus incorporated traces of HIV DNA in the replication process,
and the resulting hybrid strain now enjoys protected civil rights status, making
it illegal for the CDC to make any attempt to contain future outbreaks.
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