FL: Suspected norovirus outbreak on cruise liners

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Source: http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/S...138705084.html

Even More Sick on Second Princess Cruise at Port Everglades
140 passengers and 18 crew likely got norovirus
By Sebastian Del Marmol and Betty Yu
| Saturday, Feb 4, 2012 | Updated 3:43 PM EST

...NBC Miami has learned from Princess Cruises that the total number of sick on the Ruby Princess was 92 passengers and 13 crew but totals for the Crown Princess, which arrived at Port Everglades today was even higher.

A total of 140 passengers, or 4.5 percent of total passengers, and 18 crew, have been affected by the illness, confirmed Princess Cruise Lines...

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Re: FL: Suspected norovirus outbreak on two cruise liners

Norovirus hits two cruise ships out of Lauderdale, affects hundreds

By Jodie Wagner
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 6:04 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012

More than 260 passengers and crew members aboard two cruise ships returning to Port Everglades this weekend have been stricken with Norovirus.

A highly contagious gastrointestinal illness, Norovirus causes upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea.

One hundred forty people, or 4 percent of 3,103 passengers, and 18 of 1,168 crew members aboard the Crown Princess became infected with the illness during a seven-day Southern Caribbean cruise that returned to port this morning in Fort Lauderdale, Princess Cruises media relations manager Karen Candy said.

A total of 92 people, or nearly 3 percent of 3,133 passengers, and 13 of the 1,186 crew members aboard the Ruby Princess also were stricken with the virus. That ship will complete its seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruise on Sunday.

More...

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/norovirus-hits-two-cruise-ships-out-of-lauderdale-2148665.html

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Re: FL: Suspected norovirus outbreak on two cruise liners

Nearly 500 on 2 cruise ships stricken by Norovirus

<!--endclickprintinclude--><!--startclickprintexclude--><!--no partner-->By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 2:34 PM EST, Sun February 5, 2012

(CNN) -- Nearly 500 cases of Norovirus have been reported on two Florida-based Princess Cruises ships, the cruise line said Sunday.
The 499 cases occurred on the Ruby Princess and the Crown Princess, both based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said cruise line spokeswoman Julie Benson.

On Saturday, the Crown Princess returned from a Caribbean cruise with 364 sick passengers and 30 sick crew members, she said. In all, about 3,100 people were on board.

Sunday morning, the 3,000 passengers and crew on board the Ruby Princess disembarked, Benson said. Of those on board, 92 passengers and 13 crew members were reported ill.

More...

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/05/health/ships-outbreak/index.html

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Re: FL: Suspected norovirus outbreak on two cruise liners

Investigation Update on the Crown Princess

Cruise Line: Princess Cruises
Cruise Ship: Crown Princess
Voyage Dates: January 28 ? February 4, 2012
Number of passengers who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of passengers onboard: 364* of 3103 (11.73%)
Number of ill crew who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of crew onboard: 32 of 1168 (2.74)
Predominant symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea
Causative agent: Unknown


Actions: In response to the outbreak, Princess Cruises and the crew aboard the ship have taken the following actions:

• Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan,
• Made announcements to both notify onboard passengers of the outbreak and encourage case reporting,
• Modified self-service food operations and delivery to limit opportunity for exposure on the next cruise,
• Collected a very limited number of stool specimens from ill passengers and crew for submission to the CDC lab,
• Made multiple daily reports of gastrointestinal illness cases to the VSP,
• Provided additional staff and time for thorough public and accommodation super-sanitization cleaning and disinfection during an extended period between disembarkation and embarkation,
• Consulted with CDC on plans for:
  • Next cruise passenger notification procedures, including the planned delayed embarkation due to intensified sanitation procedures,
  • Disembarkation plans for active cases, terminal and transport infection control procedures.

Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers boarded the ship on arrival in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, on February 4, 2012, to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. Stool specimens were sent to the CDC lab for testing.

* There were an unknown, but significant number of passenger cases who reported their illness by phone to the medical facility onboard, but were not seen in a timely manner and disembarked the ship.

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/outbreak/2012/feb4crown_princess.htm

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Re: FL: Suspected norovirus outbreak on two cruise liners

Outbreak of illness forces early end to Princess cruise
By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

Updated 1h 8m ago

...
The line today announced that the 3,080-passenger Crown Princess is returning to its home port of Ft. Lauderdale, which it departed on Saturday, and will undergo an extensive, two-day sanitization.

The line said it made the decision to end the cruise early in consultation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after 114 passengers and 59 crew members on the sailing became ill, continuing an outbreak that began last week on the ship's previous sailing. Nearly 400 passengers and crew on the earlier sailing became ill.

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2012/02/crown-princess-cruise-ship-norovirus-outbreak/622300/1

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Re: FL: Suspected norovirus outbreak on two cruise liners

Passengers contract Norovirus on Princess ship for 2nd time

The Miami Herald
By Stefania Ferro
sferro@miamiherald.com

A Princess cruise ship returned to South Florida for a second time after passengers and crew members contracted the Norovirus.

The Crown Princess docked at Port Everglades two days early with more than 200 people sick with the stomach virus, according to Princess Cruises.

The ship was sanitized on a prior voyage when it returned with about 200 people onboard sick. The seven-day cruise that left Feb. 4 planned to visit Curacao and Aruba.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/0...#storylink=cpy

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Re: FL: Suspected norovirus outbreak on two cruise liners

Investigation Update on the Celebrity Constellation

Cruise Line: Celebrity Cruises
Cruise Ship: Celebrity Constellation
Voyage Dates: January 28 ? February 11, 2012
Number of passengers who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of passengers onboard: 95 of 1992 (4.77%)
Number of crew who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of crew onboard: 12 of 946 (1.27%)
Predominant symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea
Causative agent: Unknown


Actions: In response to the outbreak, Celebrity Cruises and the crew aboard the ship have taken the following actions:

• Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan,
• Made announcements to both notify passengers and encourage case reporting,
• Conducted red level cleaning and delayed embarkation to permit a thorough disinfection,
• Collected stool specimens from ill passengers and crew for diagnostic laboratory testing,
• Distributed a pre-boarding health advisory to incoming passengers,
• Made daily reports of gastrointestinal illness cases to the VSP,
• Extended their turnaround day in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on February 11, 2012 to conduct a red level cleaning,
• Delayed embarkation to permit a thorough disinfection, and
• Consulted with CDC on disembarkation plans for active cases, terminal and transport infection control procedures

Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers will board the ship on arrival in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on February 11, 2012 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities.

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/outbreak/2012/feb11celebrity_constellation.htm

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Re: FL: Suspected norovirus outbreak on cruise liners

Passengers on sick cruise speak out

By Anna Tataris, Reporter
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 <NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>
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TARPON SPRINGS --

More than 130 people from the Bay area took a Princess Cruise from Fort Lauderdale and say they got sick with the norovirus while on board.
...
Princess Cruise line confirms there were 364 confirmed cases of norovirus on board.

There were only two doctors and five nurses to handle all of the sick passengers.

Passengers tell Bay News 9 they were told to stay in their rooms and didn?t get the medical help they needed.

Some say they waited hours for medicine to be brought to their room.
...
Julie Benson, A Spokesperson for Princess Cruises says they did increase sanitation measures throughout the ship.

Benson says they are sorry people got sick, however they do not give refunds in these type of situations.

?We do not give refunds for people who become ill on board. norovirus is circulating widely in the U.S.It?s nothing the ship caused, it?s spread by passengers,? said Benson.

Full text:

http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2012/february/382416/Passengers-on-sick-cruise-speak-out.html

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Re: FL: Suspected norovirus outbreak on cruise liners

Posted on Sunday, 03.11.12

Ruby Princess returns to Port Everglades with more passengers sick with the norovirus

By Paradise Afshar and Silvana
pafshar@MiamiHerald.com

The Ruby Princess? weeklong Caribbean cruise came to an end Sunday morning at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale ? and according to cruiseline officials several passengers became ill onboard during the cruise.

"We did see a small number of passengers with illnesses," said Karen Candy, a spokesperson for Princess Cruises

On Sunday, she did not have the exact number of passengers taken ill.

That was a similar scenario from a week ago when the Ruby Princess docked with 129 sick passengers. The ship had sailed out with 3,147 passengers.

So far this year Princess Cruises has reported three outbreaks of norovirus on their ships - the most of any major cruise line involved in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention?s Vessel Sanitation Program.

It still must be determined if the latest illness was caused by the norovirus.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/1...#storylink=cpy