Norovirus

[Kathy M.]

My Dad was supposed to be on a Celebrity ship right now - but had gone out and come back 4 or 5 times with Norovirus (in Charleston, SC).  He and his wife are elderly and didn't want to take a chance on getting siick so they cancelled last minute - Celebrity is losing alot of money because of it - they can't seem to get it off the ship!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Funny how Norovirus is given its proper name when it occurs on board a ship, but is called "winter vomiting bug" when it infects people on land, particularly in hospitals.

This seems to make it a specific bug related to seaborne travel...

[Twynkle]

Funny how Norovirus is given its proper name when it occurs on board a ship, but is called "winter vomiting bug" when it infects people on land, particularly in hospitals.

This seems to make it a specific bug related to seaborne travel...

Hi Isabelle - to be clinically a bit more precise - there can be a significant difference between the causes as well as symptoms.
Potentially, 'The' 'winter vomiting bug', the term that you and the media refer to, this can be caused by one or more of many different types of bug, (virus or bacteria), the symptoms include vomiting, sometime together with - but not always, diarrhoea.
It can occur summer winter or in between!

Symptoms of infection with Norovirus usually begin with 'explosive diarrhoea' (as described in the literature by the ship's Dr M C.)
Vomiting can also occur, but usually this isn't the first sign of infection with the norovirus - which importantly, isn't restricted to cruise or other types of ship.
Because of it's 'nature of spread' it's highly infectious; easily spread through wards in hospitals and other areas where there may be people living in close proximity, such as boarding schools, colleges, hotels, prisons etc etc
It seems to be more prevalent in winter - this may explain the use of the term referred to - and in winter, people tend to be in crowded indoor environments - including cruise ships!

Does anyone know whether the yellow pennant signifying the ship (in port) is / isn't in quarantine is flown when anyone on board has been diagnosed with the Norovirus?

It would be interesting to know from Matron and or anyone else who worked in the Hospital on QE2 when the use of sticky black and yellow tape, and isolation / barrier techniques began - if they did.

There is also a virus that can be caused be eating poorly re-heated pre-cooked rice - this can also cause similar symptoms as the Norovirus, the difference here being that the onset is usually withing minutes to short hours - the Norovirus usually takes longer to work!

Rosie (now wondering whether Legionnaires Disease has ever been diagnosed at sea...)