Investigation Update on the Celebrity Equinox
Cruise Line: Celebrity Cruises
Cruise Ship: Celebrity Equinox
Voyage Dates: February 13 – February 23, 2015
Number of passengers who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of passengers onboard: 95 of 2896 (3.28%)
Number of crew who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of crew onboard: 7 of 1209 (0.58%)
Predominant symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea
Causative agent: unknown
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged CDC Investigation, celebrity cruises, Celebrity Equinox, Cruise Line, cruise ship
Prepare before you go aboard a cruise ship, experts warn.
Norovirus is a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus that can be caught on cruise ships.
But experts say to prepare ahead is the best way to keep your health while on vacation. Bring hand sanitizer and wash your hands frequently, according to the New York Daily News. Proper hygeiene can go a long way. Practice your balance because you will want to avoid touching handrails.
Experts say the norovirus is spread by touching elevator buttons, salt and pepper shakers and anything else that the mass population will also come in contact with on the cruise ship.
CNN reports that hundreds of people aboard two cruise ships in the Caribbean fell ill due to norovirus, the latest instances in which the stomach bug has thwarted vacationers at sea.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday that norovirus had hit more than 600 passengers and crew on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, making it one of the biggest such outbreaks on any cruise ship in the last two decades.
In addition, the Caribbean Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, cut short its own seven-day Caribbean itinerary on Friday. Princess Cruises said that 178 passengers and 11 crew members aboard had been stricken with norovirus, with CDC staffers on board Friday to help sanitize that ship.
CDC Report – Summary of Outbreaks
FoodWorld 