Noro on the Dawn

[need2cruisesoon]

Noro on the Dawn in New Zealand, at least 200 sick onboard.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/norovirus-sickens-200-people-zealand-cruise-034946060.html

 

The New Zealand News - Pukefest on the Dawn:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11370699

Edited December 8, 2014 by need2cruisesoon

[shredie]

Uh oh.

[BruceMuzz]

CDC has just issued advisories to al the cruise lines, warning of a dramatic increase in NLV outbreaks around Australia.

These are the Australian variants, which are generally much nastier than the ones in North America.

 

If you wash your hands properly and keep them out of your mouth and nose, it is almost impossible to be infected.

Edited December 8, 2014 by BruceMuzz

[Wehwalt]

Here's another story:

 

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/06052ea15038481fbf80d419f4dcbfb3/norovirus-sickens-200-people-new-zealand-cruise

[Lovetocruiseprincess]

If you wash your hands properly and keep them out of your mouth and nose, it is almost impossible to be infected.

 

Unfortunately for most people this is a very hard thing to do- myself included. Although I've managed not to contract it after many years of experiencing it on ships.

[BridgeMates]

I know we're due!

Been on several cruises with Noro (200+) and we've managed to escape.

I have to use the stair rails so I am especially careful about washing my hands every chance I get. On most Princess ships there is a restroom near the entrance to the dining room so I always stop there first. Use our own bathroom whenever possible and use the dispensers wherever they have them. As careful as I am tho, I know it will get us one day. Noro was a factor in our ship returning a day early last year and luckily no one in our group of 6 caught it. We all tried to be extremely careful.

[annalouise]

If you wash your hands properly and keep them out of your mouth and nose, it is almost impossible to be infected.

 

I suffered a gastro upset on another cruise line (not Princess) once, and my suspicion is that I became infected because of improperly defrosted meat used to cook burgers which were not cooked all the way through. That particular cruise line makes it very clear that it only uses frozen meat on board - and I know how careful you have to be at home when defrosting and cooking meat that has been frozen.

 

Obviously cruise lines prefer everyone to think that you contract gastro upsets because of poor personal hygiene.

[caribill]

Noro on the Dawn in New Zealand, at least 200 sick onboard.

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/norovirus-sickens-200-people-zealand-cruise-034946060.html

 

Says "Princess Cruises said in a statement that affected passengers were isolated in their cabins until they were considered no longer contagious"

 

Actual practice is to isolate until symptoms no longer exist. Reality is that a person can be contagious for several days after no longer showing symptoms.

 

Per the CDC:

You are most contagious

 

• when you are sick with norovirus illness, and
  
• during the first few days after you recover from norovirus illness.
  

[need2cruisesoon]

I suffered a gastro upset on another cruise line (not Princess) once, and my suspicion is that I became infected because of improperly defrosted meat used to cook burgers which were not cooked all the way through. That particular cruise line makes it very clear that it only uses frozen meat on board - and I know how careful you have to be at home when defrosting and cooking meat that has been frozen.

 

Obviously cruise lines prefer everyone to think that you contract gastro upsets because of poor personal hygiene.

 

I wonder how many times Noro is misdiagnosed when in reality it was food poisoning or improperly handled food as you mentioned.

[caribill]

I wonder how many times Noro is misdiagnosed when in reality it was food poisoning or improperly handled food as you mentioned.

Princess only says Noro when it is confirmed.

 

Otherwise they say gastrointestinal symptoms.

[JF - retired RRT]

Unfortunately for most people this is a very hard thing to do- myself included. Although I've managed not to contract it after many years of experiencing it on ships.

Get Zylast...it kills Noro. The soap provides several hours of prevention and the lotion is easy to carry around. I bought it online (large and small containers of lotion plus foaming soap) for approx. $26. http://www.zylastdirect.com/catalog.php

[JF - retired RRT]

I know we're due!

Been on several cruises with Noro (200+) and we've managed to escape.

I have to use the stair rails so I am especially careful about washing my hands every chance I get. On most Princess ships there is a restroom near the entrance to the dining room so I always stop there first. Use our own bathroom whenever possible and use the dispensers wherever they have them. As careful as I am tho, I know it will get us one day. Noro was a factor in our ship returning a day early last year and luckily no one in our group of 6 caught it. We all tried to be extremely careful.

I have to use stair rails also. I keep plastic, disposable gloves in my pocket and use Zylast as needed.

[chengkp75]

I wonder how many times Noro is misdiagnosed when in reality it was food poisoning or improperly handled food as you mentioned.

 

First off, I would say that short of the very high end cruise lines, virtually every piece of meat on every mainline cruise ship has been frozen. There may be exceptions for the high end cuts for the specialty restaurants, but 90-95% of all meat comes on frozen.

 

Noro cannot be confirmed short of a stool exam, and these are not always able to be "collected". Even though this thread relates to a cruise in Australia, where the local health rules and WHO regulations apply, and not USPH, when a cruise has a GI outbreak, they will list the causative agent, if proven, or list it as "unknown source". Also, I can only say that ships following USPH sanitation practices have made food borne illness from "mishandled" foodstuffs extremely rare.

 

Get Zylast...it kills Noro. The soap provides several hours of prevention and the lotion is easy to carry around. I bought it online (large and small containers of lotion plus foaming soap) for approx. $26. http://www.zylastdirect.com/catalog.php

 

As I always preface now when discussing hand sanitizers, I don't dissuade anyone from using a product that makes them feel better or safer, but lets not get caught up in manufacturers' claims. Zylast is not on the EPA list of approved effective agents against noro. If it was provable that it was, the manufacturer would hurry to get it on there, as the list as updated last October is noticeably shorter than the previous one.

 

Benzethonium chloride, the active ingredient in Zylast is shown to be effective in concentrations above 0.15% (Zylast claims 0.2%), but the generally accepted "contact time" for this ingredient is nearly 10 minutes. It's effectiveness also depends on the mechanical friction applied (rubbing of the hands together).