CRUISES VIRII STOMACH FLU...NOWHERE TO GO!

LovesDubs

Gawwwwwd can you imagine being on a SHIP in the middle of the OCEAN and everybody on board gets the STOMACH FLU??? Ohmygaaawd.

Ugh...

Updated:2007-01-25 11:32:00 Flu Outbreak Sickens Hundreds on Cruise Ship

By MARCUS WOHLSEN AP SAN FRANCISCO (Jan. 24) -- A highly contagious form of stomach flu sickened hundreds of passengers during a worldwide voyage on the famed Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship in what health officials called an unusually large outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 276 passengers and 28 crew members had come down with norovirus by the time the ship docked Wednesday in San Francisco for a regularly scheduled stop, though only four passengers remained sick.

The CDC boarded the QE2 on Friday in Acapulco, Mexico, to investigate the outbreak.

Investigators determined the emergency sanitation measures put in place by the ship's crew, from disinfecting casino chips to halting self-service at the ship's buffet, were containing the outbreak.

"This one was a good example where they had a lot of cases but they did gain control over the spread of infection," said Jaret Ames, acting chief of the CDC's vessel sanitation program.

The infections affected nearly 17 percent of the ship's 1,652 passengers, a particularly high percentage, Ames said. By comparison, a norovirus outbreak last month aboard the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, infected 338 passengers out of 3,823, or less than 9 percent.

In rare cases, the elderly and young children can die from dehydration caused by norovirus symptoms. The infection, which ranks second only to the common cold in reported cases, usually clears up in two or three days with no lasting effects.

No passengers have canceled their tickets as a result of the outbreak, said Brian O'Connor, a spokesman for Cunard Line, the company that operates the QE2.

The ship departed Jan. 8 from New York on the first leg of its 106-day cruise around the world. It was to leave San Francisco for Honolulu on Wednesday night.

kristyann

Oh my lanta... I am always telling people how I will NEVER go on a cruise. This is one of the very reasons. This ALWAYS happens. I mean, okay, for all of the cruises that "set sail" or whatever, most are probably fine. But you hear this ALL OF THE TIME. Hundreds or thousands of people getting sick or whatever. It's disgusting. Plus people go missing from these things on occasion, too. I don't know if they fall over cause they're drunk or if they're murdered. But cruises just do NOT appeal to me at all. Plus I am not really into drinking and gorging myself with food... okay, maybe gorging myself SOMETIMES, but not into the drinking or slot machines thing at all, or those cheesy song-and-dance shows.

DevonMcBride

9% on the Freedom of the Seas and 17% on the QE2 is low compared to the cases near me. The chance of getting the stomach flu staying in your own city is greater. There have been schools, community centers and workplaces closed in my area because 25-50% of the people got sick.

CD

kristyann - I agree 100% with your words...I will never ever go on no cruise...LOL!!!

"Oh my lanta... I am always telling people how I will NEVER go on a cruise. This is one of the very reasons. This ALWAYS happens. I mean, okay, for all of the cruises that "set sail" or whatever, most are probably fine. But you hear this ALL OF THE TIME. Hundreds or thousands of people getting sick or whatever. It's disgusting. Plus people go missing from these things on occasion, too. I don't know if they fall over cause they're drunk or if they're murdered. But cruises just do NOT appeal to me at all. Plus I am not really into drinking and gorging myself with food... okay, maybe gorging myself SOMETIMES, but not into the drinking or slot machines thing at all, or those cheesy song-and-dance shows."

CD

Frannie Banannie

A shame no one on board knew that cinnamon kills and even prevents stomach flu which is caused by a virus. Thank WalMart for carrying cinnamon capsules in their vitamin dept. now. :)

Frannie

Paisley

276 passengers and 28 crew members had come down with norovirus by the time the ship docked Wednesday in San Francisco for a regularly scheduled stop, though only four passengers remained sick.

Well at least that! Only 4 passengers remained sick. I was surprised to learn above that this norovirus ranks second only to the common cold in reported cases!

If I ever go on a cruise or other vacation then, I'll be sure to bring plenty of activated charcoal and lemons and other herbs, drugs and treatments along just in case!