After a widespread outbreak of stomach illness aboard Celebrity Cruises Mercury sailing from Charleston, South Carolina, the cruise liner will depart a day late as unscheduled deep-cleaning is performed.
The ship arrived in Charleston after an 11-night sailing on which an estimated 419 of the 1,830 passengers on board were afflicted with a suspected Norovirus. Delayed until 5PM Saturday, the ship and cruise terminal are being cleaned in close coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Outbreaks of this kind are increasingly rare as cruise lines continue diligent efforts to improve sanitation procedures industry-wide. The CDC reports far fewer outbreaks, just 13 in 2009, than in past years reports USAToday.
Often confused with motion discomfort or "being seasick", the suspected Norovirus outbreaks are commonly compared to having the stomach flu which typically lasts 24-48 hours. In the closed environment of a cruise ship, the virus can spread quickly by eating food or drinking liquids, touching surfaces or contact with another person infected.
Cruise passengers can take precautions to help prevent the spread of the infection by following some simple but important guidelines
- Wash your hands- Frequent and thorough hand washing is the most important means of preventing the infection. The state of Florida and CDC recommend that handwashing consist of a minimum of 20 seconds washing using soap and warm water
- Avoid commonly touched surfaces and enclosed spaces- try not to touch hand rails on stairways, select elevator buttons with your elbow or don't use elevators at all. After using the restroom and washing your hands, use a paper towel to open the restroom door upon exiting.
- Avoid buffets- the person before you in line that touched serving utensils may be infected. Cruise ship crew members serving you in the dining room are held to high sanitation standards that minimize contamination.
- Request new or sanitized pillows and bed coverings- while sheets and pillowcases are changed before you arrive on the ship, pillows and bedspreads may not be and could be infected by those before you. Store any decorative pillows under the bed or ask your cabin steward to remove them
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