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Cruise ship sickness is something hundreds of people experience each year when
they go on a cruise vacation. One of these illnesses that affect most people is the one associated with the
Norwalk virus. The Norwalk virus is known for causing diarrhea and vomiting for
about 2 to 3 days, which can spoil your first couple of days on the ship.
What is important to remember is that this is not only a cruise ship
sickness and that this illness also occurs on land. Statistics show that
more than 20 million Americans are affected by a Norwalk type virus every year.
It is also a fact that Norwalk type illnesses are reportedly only second to the common cold.
The main reason you hear about people falling ill to this virus on a cruise
ship is that the cruise lines have to report an outbreak if more than 3% of the passengers become affected.
Needless to say, when they do, it makes news! One usually gets the Norwalk virus from hand to mouth activity or from contaminated food.
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Obviously, the cruise lines are doing everything to make sure their food is not contaminated and their passengers don't get sick,
because sick passengers and bad news will kill their business.
One less thing to be concerned about is the food, So don't worry about
it, that's pretty much handled. However, a concern will be, getting infected from already sick or infected passengers.
If an infected passenger touches a handrail, for instance, and you touch it afterward, you are now potentially infected. If you then touch your mouth, or eat hand-held food before washing your hand, you'll then actually get infected.
Any surface, touched by another person can be an infection source for you. This does not only apply on cruise ships,
but also on land in any public place. Door handles, elevator
buttons, chairs, tables, hand shakes, etc, can be sources of infection.
Therefore you always need to wash your hands before you eat!
This can be tough on a cruise ship where there is so much activity going on and you may not always be close to a
water and soap. So one thing you can do is always carry a small bottle of
hand sanitizer with you.
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If you always wash or sanitize your hands before touching food or your mouth, you should avoid
falling victim to this cruise ship sickness. To learn more about the Norwalk virus,
ensuring your health while on your cruise, you can visit the Center for
Disease Control's website. There are also many other
sites you can visit informing you about the precautions you need to take
when preparing for a cruise. Don't get caught by this virus or any other
for that matter and be forced to stay indoors while the other family
members are having a blast on the deck outside. |
