Fear at sea: Norovirus threatens cruise vacationers 2025!
Fear at sea: Norovirus threatens cruise vacationers 2025!
Queen Mary 2, Hamburg, Deutschland - The fear of vacationers of diseases during cruises, especially before Norovirus, has increased lately. Derwesten reports that Norovirus can quickly spread under passengers on cruise ships. This arouses concern, since in 2023 there are already several outbreaks, including one in March on the "Queen Mary 2", which increased concerns of the travelers. Of 2538 passengers, 224 and 17 of 1232 crew members were affected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA, this was the 13th case of Norovirus on cruise ships this year.
experts fear that further outbursts will face further outbreaks in the coming months. The situation is also tightened by a lack of personnel among the health authorities after 10,000 employees have been released, which could possibly affect the control of hygiene regulations. Before Corona pandemic, Norovirus was mostly contained on cruise ships; However, there were 14 outbreaks on passenger trips worldwide in 2024.
protective measures for travelers
In view of these worrying developments, the international cruise association Clia is under pressure to check and may be exacerbated to check the health and security protocols. Passengers can protect themselves from Norovirus through various measures:- Frequent hand washing before and after meals and after touching frequently used objects.
- Avoidance of public toilets on board in favor of private sanitary facilities in the cabin.
- wear masks in full areas such as casinos or bars to reduce the infection risk with further infectious diseases.
Norovirus, which was previously known as Norwalk virus and similar names, is a main cause of acute gastroentitis, also known as a gastrointestinal flu. It is mainly transmitted via the faecal oral path, be it through direct contact with infected people or through contaminated food and water. The transmission can also be made via fomites and aerosols from vomit. The CDC indicates that Norovirus-eruptions often occur in narrow rooms, in camp, in camp Dormitories or care facilities.
The symptoms of a Norovirus infection, which include sudden vomiting, non-bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and sometimes fever, usually occur 12 to 48 hours after infection. There is no specific treatment or vaccination against Norovirus. Support is mainly through rehydration. Travelers can also minimize the risk of infection by paying attention to hygienic handling of food and avoiding potentially contaminated products.
In summary, it can be seen that Norovirus is a serious risk for travelers, especially on cruises. The combination of concentrated occupancy and the possibility of spreading into narrow communities requires continuous vigilance and caution.| Details | |
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| Ort | Queen Mary 2, Hamburg, Deutschland |
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