Norovirus Outbreak on Ship (from ATSNN), page 1

250+ crewmembers & passengers have been infected with a Norovirus. The virus orginated from a guest who had symptoms of infection two days prior to departure of the vessel Mariner of the Seas. The virus is under control however.

www.cnn.com
The Mariner of the Seas is set to dock in Port Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday, Royal Caribbean spokesman Michael Sheehan said in a statement.

The ship has been sailing in the Western Caribbean with 3,465 guests and 1,190 crew members. Of those, 229 guests and 18 crew members were believed to have been affected by the virus.

Symptoms of a norovirus, or Norwalk-like virus, include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control Web site.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Even though this virus is potentially deadly (dehydration, ect), it really scares me to think, "what if the next time it's something like Ebola? Or another extreamly deadly virus?" Maybe this will serve as a wakeup call, and let them see that medical screenings should be given prior to departure.

I'm curious if it could have been an attempt at terrorism? It isn't looking that way, but I wouldn't be suprised if you don't here about something similar happeneing in the future.

I wonder if they'll be getting full refunds?

[edit on 22-1-2005 by JBurns]