300 QEII passenger and crew ill With Norwalk Virus
Pastor Dale Morgan
*300 QEII passenger and crew ill With Norwalk Virus*
Fropm correspondents in San Francisco
January 25, 2007 12:28pm
Article from: Reuters
MORE than 300 passengers and crew aboard the luxury ocean liner Queen
Elizabeth II, which is coming to Sydney next month, have been struck
down by suspected stomach flu.
The US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention said it was
notified by Cunard Line, owner of the QEII, on January 11 that some
passengers had fallen ill with symptoms associated with norovirus,
responsible for gastroenteritis marked by stomach cramps, nausea,
vomiting and diarrhoea that lasts two to three days.
The world famous cruise ship has since docked in San Francisco.
The number of sick passengers climbed to 276, from a total 1652, and 28
of the ship's 1002 crew also became ill, said Lisa Beaumier, public
health analyst with the CDC.
While their symptoms were consistent with norovirus, health officials
are continuing to study stool samples, Ms Beaumier said.
US health officials boarded the QEII in Acapulco, Mexico on Friday to
investigate the outbreak. Its crew responded with increased cleaning and
disinfection measures.
Cunard Line was not immediately available for comment.
Norovirus is highly contagious and infection is common this time of year.
The QEII will be joined in Sydney by sister ship, the Queen Mary II,
when the latter docks at Garden Island on February 20.
The QMII, three times the size of the Titanic, will become the largest
ship to enter Sydney Harbour.
The ship is 345m long, 23 storeys high and has 10 restaurants, five
pools, a casino, a theatre and a planetarium.