65 on ship get gastrointestinal illness

[Jason]

Nearly 65 passengers and crew members on a cruise ship suffered from a gastrointestinal illness over the last week, federal officials said Monday.

Fifty-three passengers and 11 crew members on Holland America Line Inc.'s Volendam came down with probable cases of norovirus, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman Tom Skinner said. The cruise line obtained specimens from some of them to verify whether they had the common illness, he said.

The ship carried about 1,400 passengers and about 600 crew members, so about 3.2 percent of people onboard were sick. The CDC threshold for an outbreak is 3 percent. The ship returned to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday after completing a seven-day cruise in the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas.

Norovirus infects an estimated 23 million people every year. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, lasting one to two days, according to the CDC.

The virus is spread through contaminated food, contact with infected people or poor hygiene. It can be prevented by regular hand-washing with soap.

Skinner said the Volendam followed standard precautions, such as cleaning public areas and rooms with disinfectants. Cruise lines can also confine sick passengers and serve food by crew instead of buffet-style, although Skinner didn't know if that was the case with the Volendam.

"We observed their cleaning and disinfection methods and we determined they had done and were doing everything they could to address the situation," he said.

The ship left on another cruise Sunday, he said.

A spokesman for Seattle-based Holland America said that although this outbreak was limited to one Holland America ship, the illness is common in the industry.

"This happens on on virtually every cruise ship," said public relations manager Christopher Wilson.

Passenger Phil Cogan of Fairfax, Va., said passengers were given sanitary wipes as they boarded in Port Everglades, which led him to wonder if the ship was already infected. He said he became suspicious after he was told of the illnesses about halfway into the cruise.

Skinner said the CDC was not informed of any cases on previous sailings. Cruise lines must report gastrointestinal illnesses to the CDC once 2 percent of passengers or crew are ill.

Holland America is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp.

[Jason]

Nearly 65 passengers and crew members on a cruise ship suffered from a gastrointestinal illness over the last week, federal officials said Monday.

Fifty-three passengers and 11 crew members on Holland America Line Inc.'s Volendam came down with probable cases of norovirus, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman Tom Skinner said. The cruise line obtained specimens from some of them to verify whether they had the common illness, he said.

The ship carried about 1,400 passengers and about 600 crew members, so about 3.2 percent of people onboard were sick. The CDC threshold for an outbreak is 3 percent. The ship returned to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday after completing a seven-day cruise in the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas.

Norovirus infects an estimated 23 million people every year. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, lasting one to two days, according to the CDC.

The virus is spread through contaminated food, contact with infected people or poor hygiene. It can be prevented by regular hand-washing with soap.

Skinner said the Volendam followed standard precautions, such as cleaning public areas and rooms with disinfectants. Cruise lines can also confine sick passengers and serve food by crew instead of buffet-style, although Skinner didn't know if that was the case with the Volendam.

"We observed their cleaning and disinfection methods and we determined they had done and were doing everything they could to address the situation," he said.

The ship left on another cruise Sunday, he said.

A spokesman for Seattle-based Holland America said that although this outbreak was limited to one Holland America ship, the illness is common in the industry.

"This happens on on virtually every cruise ship," said public relations manager Christopher Wilson.

Passenger Phil Cogan of Fairfax, Va., said passengers were given sanitary wipes as they boarded in Port Everglades, which led him to wonder if the ship was already infected. He said he became suspicious after he was told of the illnesses about halfway into the cruise.

Skinner said the CDC was not informed of any cases on previous sailings. Cruise lines must report gastrointestinal illnesses to the CDC once 2 percent of passengers or crew are ill.

Holland America is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp.

[Jason]

Nearly 65 passengers and crew members on a cruise ship suffered from a gastrointestinal illness over the last week, federal officials said Monday.

Fifty-three passengers and 11 crew members on Holland America Line Inc.'s Volendam came down with probable cases of norovirus, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman Tom Skinner said. The cruise line obtained specimens from some of them to verify whether they had the common illness, he said.

The ship carried about 1,400 passengers and about 600 crew members, so about 3.2 percent of people onboard were sick. The CDC threshold for an outbreak is 3 percent. The ship returned to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday after completing a seven-day cruise in the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas.

Norovirus infects an estimated 23 million people every year. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, lasting one to two days, according to the CDC.

The virus is spread through contaminated food, contact with infected people or poor hygiene. It can be prevented by regular hand-washing with soap.

Skinner said the Volendam followed standard precautions, such as cleaning public areas and rooms with disinfectants. Cruise lines can also confine sick passengers and serve food by crew instead of buffet-style, although Skinner didn't know if that was the case with the Volendam.

"We observed their cleaning and disinfection methods and we determined they had done and were doing everything they could to address the situation," he said.

The ship left on another cruise Sunday, he said.

A spokesman for Seattle-based Holland America said that although this outbreak was limited to one Holland America ship, the illness is common in the industry.

"This happens on on virtually every cruise ship," said public relations manager Christopher Wilson.

Passenger Phil Cogan of Fairfax, Va., said passengers were given sanitary wipes as they boarded in Port Everglades, which led him to wonder if the ship was already infected. He said he became suspicious after he was told of the illnesses about halfway into the cruise.

Skinner said the CDC was not informed of any cases on previous sailings. Cruise lines must report gastrointestinal illnesses to the CDC once 2 percent of passengers or crew are ill.

Holland America is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp.

[DaCruzNut]

I read the same article, in yesterday's Miami Herald, and while it is cause for concern, I don't think that 3.2% of the passengers is a significant number. I feel bad for those who lost 2-3 days of the cruise, but it's better than catching a cold and losing all 7!

[DaCruzNut]

I read the same article, in yesterday's Miami Herald, and while it is cause for concern, I don't think that 3.2% of the passengers is a significant number. I feel bad for those who lost 2-3 days of the cruise, but it's better than catching a cold and losing all 7!

[DaCruzNut]

I read the same article, in yesterday's Miami Herald, and while it is cause for concern, I don't think that 3.2% of the passengers is a significant number. I feel bad for those who lost 2-3 days of the cruise, but it's better than catching a cold and losing all 7!

[GottaCruz]

I agree with you , Jeff. One one of our cruises, , the day we boarded my throat was on fire and for the rest of the cruise I had a miserable cold and sore throat. I definitely would have preferred 2-3 days of feeling lousy and then enjoying the remainder of the cruise. :(

[GottaCruz]

I agree with you , Jeff. One one of our cruises, , the day we boarded my throat was on fire and for the rest of the cruise I had a miserable cold and sore throat. I definitely would have preferred 2-3 days of feeling lousy and then enjoying the remainder of the cruise. :(

[GottaCruz]

I agree with you , Jeff. One one of our cruises, , the day we boarded my throat was on fire and for the rest of the cruise I had a miserable cold and sore throat. I definitely would have preferred 2-3 days of feeling lousy and then enjoying the remainder of the cruise. :(