OVER 100 passengers and crew members on a cruise ship have fallen ill from the outbreak of a deadly infection.
The sickened group, who are at the beginning of a 133-day world trip, have been left vomiting and suffering from diarrhea in the middle of the ocean, the CDC has reported.
The outbreak on the Aida Cruises ship AIDAdiva was first reported on November 30, triggering a health hazard response procedure including disinfection, isolation, and testing.
Officials quickly determined the cause of sickness in at least 95 passengers and six crew members to be Norovirus – a highly contagious virus
Initial reports of sickness were made after the cruise line, whose parent company is Carnival Corporation, made multiple stops in the US.
AIDAdiva set sail from Hamburg, Germany, on November 10, and made stops in Boston, New York, Miami, and Charleston.
It will be heading for Central America, Mexico, Europe, Japan, and more.
However, the initial stint of the cruise, for passengers not staying on, ends on December 16, according to the CDC.
Authorities highlighted that those who fell ill made up less than 6% of all those onboard.
The CDC reported that Aida Cruises and staff on the ship were quick to respond to the outbreak.
They “increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan,” the CDC said.
“Collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing.
“Isolated ill passengers and crew [and] consulted with VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) about sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases.”
“VSP is remotely monitoring the situation, including review of the ship’s outbreak response and sanitation procedures,” the CDC added.
The U.S. Sun reached out to AIDA for comment and received the following statement:
“Seasonal illness peaks between November and April and the AIDAdiva report reflects infection patterns on land.
“Therefore, we’ve added more hygiene protocols onboard, and cases are already going down.”
It comes just weeks after another norovirus outbreak on a cruise ship which left over 70 passengers stuck at sea with gut-twisting pain.
And it’s not only cruise ships, in 2020, almost 200 people fell violently ill after an outbreak at Yosemite National Park.
How Norovirus spreads, how to prevent it & the symptoms you may experience:
How it spreads:
- Having direct contact with someone with Norovirus, like caring for them, sharing food or eating utensils with them, or eating food handled by them.
- Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus.
- Touching contaminated objects or surfaces and then putting your unwashed fingers in your mouth.
* You can still spread norovirus for 2 weeks or more after you feel better.
How to prevent contamination:
- Wash your hands well and often.
- Cook shellfish thoroughly and wash fruits and vegetables.
- Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces.
- Wash laundry in hot water
- Stay home when sick for 48 hours after symptoms stop
Symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Fever
- Headache
- Body aches
Source: CDC
