The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed a latest outbreak of norovirus aboard Superstar Cruises’ Superstar Constellation, with dozens of visitors and crew members reporting signs. Sanitation procedures had been elevated onboard to mitigate transmission, and the scenario will proceed to be monitored.
Norovirus Onboard Superstar Constellation
Within the first confirmed outbreak of 2024, Superstar Constellation was stricken with norovirus on the ship’s most up-to-date crusing. The impacted voyage was a 9-night roundtrip cruise from Tampa, Florida that departed on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, and returned to Port Tampa Bay on Friday, January 12 after visiting New Orleans, Cozumel, Belize, and Costa Maya.
The variety of visitors onboard for the crusing was 2,056, and 68 reported signs of vomiting and diarrhea. This can be a complete of three.31% of passengers, nicely over the two% threshold when ships are required to report circumstances to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP). As well as, 7 of the ship’s 948 crew members (.74%) additionally reported related signs.
Testing confirmed the outbreak to be norovirus, a quite common gastrointestinal sickness that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is rather simply transmitted and contaminated individuals could present signs 12-48 hours after publicity. The illness sometimes resolves inside 1-3 days with out vital medical intervention.
Elevated sanitation measures had been instantly taken onboard, together with enhanced cleansing and isolating visitors and crew members reporting signs.
It must be famous that at no time had been any circumstances of COVID-19, RSV, or different respiratory illnesses reported aboard Superstar Constellation.
The 90,940-gross-ton, Millennium-class ship can welcome 2,184 visitors aboard at double occupancy, and can also be dwelling to as much as 1,000 worldwide crew members.
Subsequent Steps for the Ship
Because the ship is on a turnaround day on Friday, January 12 – debarking visitors from one crusing and embarking visitors for the following cruise – it’s seemingly {that a} full deep clear will likely be made at the moment. This will barely delay embarkation for the following departure, although no influence is anticipated for the following cruise.
The following itinerary is a 12-night “Final Caribbean & The Americas” crusing, with visits to Grand Cayman, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Cozumel earlier than Superstar Constellation returns to Tampa on Wednesday, January 24.
Company booked on the cruise ought to take further precautions with hand washing, use of hand sanitizer, and minimizing contact with high-touch surfaces corresponding to elevator buttons, stair railings, and door handles as a lot as potential.
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It is usually potential that continued enhanced cleansing procedures will likely be continued not less than by the primary few days of the voyage to make sure minimal danger to everybody aboard. Different steps, corresponding to fewer self-serve stations within the buffet, might also be applied to attenuate high-touch contact factors.
Latest Outbreaks
Whereas this outbreak aboard Superstar Constellation is the primary to be reported in 2024, there have been 13 norovirus outbreaks reported aboard cruise ships in 2023, together with vessels from Viking Cruises, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Worldwide, P&O Cruises, and Superstar Cruises.
Superstar Constellation was one of many ships to have an outbreak in 2023, which occurred in early March and concerned a complete of 97 visitors and crew members (out of greater than 3,000 individuals onboard). The 2023 and 2024 outbreaks will not be associated.
It must be famous that norovirus is just not confined to cruise ships and outbreaks frequently occur at faculties, workplaces, eating places, sporting occasions, and different areas the place crowds could collect. As a result of cruise ships are closed environments the place monitoring circumstances is feasible, experiences are simpler to notice and make sure.
Cruise vacationers ought to at all times take steps to stay wholesome whereas crusing and reduce any danger of infecting others in the event that they do start to really feel unwell whereas onboard. Resting, staying hydrated, choosing a bland food plan, and utilizing over-the-counter drugs for diarrhea and nausea are all efficient therapy choices.
