According to the CDC, 55 passengers have reported being ill with norovirus, along with 15 crew members who had the same illness
More than dozens on a month-long cruise have fallen ill with norovirus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has informed. The Coral Princess, a 965-foot cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, - - was carrying over 2,500 passengers and crew members - sailing a month-long route between Singapore and Long Beach, California.
According to the CDC, 55 passengers have reported being ill with norovirus, along with 15 crew members who had the same illness. The first illness was reported this month and the ship docked in California earlier this weel.
While there were no delays to its arrival – the ship embarked on a 16-day journey to Fort Lauderdale, Florida the next morning.
What is norovirus?
Norovirus is a highly contagious and common virus which leads to nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Your symptoms may be similar to the stomach flu, but they have a different cause. Norovirus spreads easily through close contact or on contaminated food or surfaces and enclosed places like cruise ships.
According to doctors, most cases of norovirus illness resolve within one to three days, it may even become serious in rare cases – especially in those with compromised immune systems, elderly, or children. Statistics say the first norovirus outbreak occurred in Norwalk, Ohio, USA, in a school in 1968. For this reason, the first strain of norovirus was known as the Norwalk virus.
Doctors say there are several different strains of norovirus. It is in the Caliciviridae family of viruses that cause inflammation of your stomach and intestines where there are 10 groups with 48 types. The most common type is GII.4.
Signs and symptoms of norovirus
A few common signs and symptoms of norovirus include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Stomachache
- Headache
- High fever
- Body aches
According to experts, symptoms of norovirus usually appear 12-48 hours after exposure to the virus and last one to three days.
How do you get norovirus?
You can get the norovirus infection in many ways, including through:
- Close contact with someone who has the virus
- Touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your mouth or nose
- Eating or drinking contaminated foods or beverages
Norovirus is the biggest cause of illness from contaminated food in the US. It typically spreads when someone who has the virus touches food before serving it to someone else. Sometimes, certain foods, including oysters and other seafood, are naturally contaminated with norovirus.
What are the serious complications of norovirus?
If you have norovirus, you are at risk of severe dehydration due to continuous vomiting and diarrhoea. It also leads to various other complications, like:
- Peeing less often or having dark-colored urine
- Having a dry mouth
- Feeling weak or dizzy
- A headache
- Children crying without tears.
- Fussiness in babies
- Feeling sleepy throughout the day
Norovirus can make it difficult for you to eat or drink because the inflammation in your intestines and stomach causes you to vomit or have diarrhea. You still need to make an effort to eat and drink. You can do this by eating and drinking more often throughout the day, eating slowly, and taking small bites or taking little sips of fluids. If you eat too quickly or too much, your body may reject the food intake.
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