Virus Stricken Cruise Ship Docks for Cleaning
Pastor Dale Morgan
Virus Stricken Cruise Ship Docks for Cleaning*
Sunday November 19, 2006 10:16 PM
By JENNIFER KAY
Associated Press Writer
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - A thorough scrubbing of the Carnival
Liberty began Sunday as the ship docked after a virus sickened nearly
700 passengers on a trans-Atlantic cruise.
Fourteen guests and five crew remained ill and in isolation when the
ship arrived at Port Everglades, according to a statement released by
Carnival Cruise Lines, a brand of Carnival Corp. Some passengers were
escorted off the ship in wheelchairs by crew wearing blue gloves.
Preliminary tests identified the source of the outbreak as the highly
contagious norovirus, which had struck several guests just before they
boarded the cruise Nov. 3 in Rome, Carnival officials said. More than
530 guests and 140 crew reported to the ship's infirmary with similar
symptoms during the 16-day voyage.
Passengers who fell ill during the cruise said they received
over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medication and pills or an injection to
ward off nausea in the ship's infirmary, and had been quarantined in
their cabins.
``They brought us 7-Up, bottled water, ice and a diet of rice, though
you didn't feel like eating,'' said Jim Lankes, 48, of Phoenix. Lankes
and his 45-year-old brother both got sick when the ship was docked in
Barcelona, Spain.
Crews scrubbed the ship's handrails and utensils, offered disinfecting
hand gel and halted the self-serve buffets after the outbreak started.
Even plastic menus were wiped clean, said Pedro Carreras, 51, of
McDonough, Ga.
Most cruise activities and excursions continued as scheduled, passengers
said, though the crew's illness disrupted some personal services.
``Our cabin steward was struck, and we didn't have anybody to clean our
cabin for five days,'' said Pamela Stupnik of Pueblo, Colo. She said she
and her husband spent two days vomiting in their cabin.
A team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control boarded the cruise when
it docked in St. Maarten to oversee the cleaning operation and try to
determine what caused the outbreak, Carnival said.
Norovirus is a group of viruses that cause stomach flu symptoms such as
diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps, according to the CDC. The illness
usually lasts one to two days without any long-term health effects. It
spreads through contaminated food or liquids, by touching contaminated
surfaces or objects and then placing that hand in one's mouth, or
through direct contact with someone who is infected and showing symptoms.
The Liberty, which has room for 2,974 travelers, had been scheduled to
set sail again Sunday afternoon on a six-day Caribbean voyage, but
Miami-based Carnival delayed its next departure until Tuesday so crews
could have extra time to disinfect the ship.
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On the Net:
Carnival Cruise Lines: http://www.carnival.com/