Howdy all-
we had discussed new or more correctly new disscoved Virus's, this one is called the Norwalk Virus because it is happening on Cruiseships.
There are many more instantaces that these listed and if you are looking at a cruise this is somthing you should look at.

Go to http://www.cdc.gov than to /travel/other/norwalk-virus_cruiseship.htm

The CDC is the USA National Center for Infectious Diseases, a lot of interesting stuff at this site.
Be Well +



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--Get Outdoors-Enjoy Life----Neil

Howdy all-

Here in my own words is other case's from article's
- More passengers have fallen ill on a Disney cruise ship just days after the ship was thoroughly cleaned because 275 passengers got sick on an earlier trip.
The ship Magic was disinfected last Saturday when passengers contracted a stomach virus during a seven-day trip. At least 60 passengers are sick on the ship's current trip.
The Magic is the latest ship to be struck by what is being called a "Norwalk-like" virus.
The Norwalk virus causes intestinal diseases. Cruise ships are prime breeding grounds for the virus because hundreds of passengers and crew mingle in close quarters, making it easy for the virus to spread.
The virus is spread through food, water and close contact with infected people or things they have touched.
On another article A similar outbreak has caused Holland America to cancel further trips on its ship the Amsterdam.
The luxury liner is getting a special scrubbing after more than 500 people caught a stomach virus on four separate voyages.
And also Holland America also pulled the Ryndam from service in July to disinfect it. The ship had 388 cases of the virus on its Alaska cruise. A lawsuit has been filed in Vancouver on behalf of the ship's passengers.
The disinfection of the Amsterdam is being overseen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has a vessel sanitation program.
My wife and I were going to take a cruise to Alaska,I will wait to see if they get this under control.
Be Well +




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--Get Outdoors-Enjoy Life----Neil

LOL http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

The Norwalk virus is neither new nor newly discovered, except by the media which has a financial interest in alarming and upsetting people. Upset people pay more attention to advertising than calm relaxed people.

The Norwalk virus affects approximately 10% of the US population every year. Most recover but immunity only lasts about 90 days and there are over 30 varieties.

It's useless to clean the ships because the virus is carried aboard by the passengers. They are not "sick" ships.

~p http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Plymouth-
OK -Interesting, But this was not from the media ,but the USA Dept OF Infectious Diseases.
Interesting also that HCV, HCV Aids etc are all considered "newly" discovered virus's, but some may have been around for thousands of years, "New discovered virus's I beleive should be called new "Identified" Virus's.
As you state it may have been around for some time-and have 30 varieties- but maybe never Identified or may be a new strain of another virus, still anyone with HCV would, I beleive, not at all need this on top of what we go live with, therefore knowledge and/or precaution of anything like this is needed.

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--Get Outdoors-Enjoy Life----Neil

[This message has been edited by LOST1 (edited 01-02-2003).]

Neil, you're right, of course.

Most people never heard about it before the cruise ship stories.

The virus was first "discovered" thirty years ago and named for the place, Norwalk, Ohio.

~p http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by plymouth (edited 01-02-2003).]

Sick Building Syndrome
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html