By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Health officials report investigating three norovirus outbreaks onboard voyages with Aida Cruises vessel, AIDAdiva.

Image.Transylvania Public Health

The first outbreak was on a September 5–23, 2019 voyage. 125 passengers and crew had symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting. The causative agent was determined to be norovirus.

The second outbreak was on a September 28–October 12, 2019 voyage. On this trip, 95 passengers and crew were infected with norovirus.

The most recent voyage was  October 3–13, 2019. On this voyage, 93 passengers and crew were affected.

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For each outbreak, Aida Cruises and the crew aboard the ship reported the following actions:

  • Collecting stool specimens from passenger and/or crew gastrointestinal illness cases.
  • Making twice daily reports of gastrointestinal illness cases to Vessel Sanitation Program.
  • Isolating ill passengers and crew.
  • Implementing increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to the ship’s outbreak prevention and response plan.

There has been nine cruise ship outbreaks investigated in 2019, including the above three.

Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness that often goes by other names, such as viral gastroenteritis, stomach flu, and food poisoning.

The symptoms include nauseavomitingdiarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills,headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. In most people, the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting for about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults do.