More than 200 passengers of the Queen Mary 2 cruise liner were infected with norovirus during a transatlantic voyage from Great Britain to the USA. Due to the outbreak of the virus, it was decided to turn the ship back. This is reported by UNN with reference to Fox News.
Details
The outbreak of the disease occurred on the Cunard Queen Mary 2 cruise liner, which departed from Southampton, UK on March 8.
The ship was supposed to sail to New York and several islands in the eastern Caribbean.
However, 224 passengers out of 2,538 contracted norovirus. 17 crew members were also affected by the disease, the publication notes.
"The main symptoms were diarrhea and vomiting. All sick passengers were isolated," the statement said.
The cruise company conducted an analysis of the sick passengers and announced that the ship should return to Southampton on Sunday, April 6.
"VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) is remotely monitoring the situation, including reviewing the ship's outbreak response and sanitation procedures," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Reference
Norovirus is an intestinal infection caused by the norfolk virus. It spreads rapidly in crowded places and institutions, especially in enclosed spaces such as schools, kindergartens and cruise ships.
It can spread through contaminated food, vomit, toilet and from person to person.
Norovirus usually causes nausea (more often in children) and watery diarrhea (more often in adults) and abdominal cramps. Once an outbreak begins, it is difficult to control. In addition, there is no specific medicine to treat norovirus. The best protection against it is to wash your hands often, wash clothes in hot water, detect symptoms in time and isolate yourself from those who are sick. Doctors also advise to maintain water balance and drink more fluids.