Intestinal Viruses on Cruise Ships/ Poor Sanitation or .....

You're being paranoid. There, does that make you feel better!

You could be right, though, unfortunately. Horrible, horrible. This is one of the reasons that I didn't like the idea of NYC putting "the poor" in overcrowded conditions on old cruise liners.

I really don't know much about this except some neighbors were talking about it and how unsanitary the cruise they took this summer was... open buffet, people serving themselves despite being obviously drunk and probably not all that concerned with where their hands had been.

I guess that is rapidly changing... there are now waiters at the buffet and they're wearing those plastic gloves.

Are these all the same virus types?

Piffka- E Coli is produced in the intestinal tract. It is spread when a person has a bowel movement, and does not wash his hands properly afterwards.

There was another article out tonight:





That's three ships in a couple of weeks, Coincidence? Is it possible that this happens often, but is not usually reported?

The "National Center for Environmental Health´" can probably give some help, especially here:

Vessel Sanitation Inspection Score database

Regarding how many people get infected worldwide on virusses on cruising ships, this is just a small percentage of all. (Couldn't find a list/summary online.)

But this happens on river cruises as well as on ocean liners. It's only in the media, when companies can't hide it.

Just thinking that the age of people on board of such cruisers (mostly older) has certainnly a lot to do with it.

Walter- The site you linked looked like it can be very handy. It did not list the number of illnesses- just the sanitation score. I that the sanitation score is domething to look at before you book a cruise!

Phoenix:

E. coli is also found in poorly cooked meats and vegetables.

It can contaminate drinking water if the water systems are malfunctioning.

Best advice: if you take a trip by boat, don't eat or drink!

New Haven- When I had my B.M.T., at first I had to eat sterilized food (Yech). When I went back on regular food, I was first permitted to eat only cooked foods, and fruits with thick skins, like melons. Little by little, as my immune system improved, I was permitted to eat the more "dangerous" foods, the last being things like grapes, and salad bars in restaurants.

I think that one needs to know his or her own body. If a person is sensitive to intestinal distress, maybe he should stick to cooked foods on a ship. It is no guarantee of safety, but it is probably a statistically safer way to go!

Phoenix, I have also been made aware of the virus infections on the two cruise ships with Holland America and Disney, but I was not concerned as you seem to be, because the mathematical odds of getting the infection is still very low (just a guess). I just returned from a cruise with Celebrity Cruise on a twelve night cruise to South America, and the only virus on board our ship, the Zenith, was the poor public relations of the employees on that ship, except for our waiter and room steward. All their shore excursions were a rip-off, charging two or three times what one can get from shore, and many customers not aware are "cheated" out of hundreds of dollars. I'd like to see "this" kind of virus cleaned up too! c.i.

BTW, as a frequent traveler in foreign countries, I am also aware of not eating salads, ice in soft drinks, fruits that cannot be peeled on your own, or meats not fully cooked. With that in mind, I ordered a hamburger at the Buenos Aires airport restaurant, and took out the lettuce and tomato before eating - with a bottle of beer to kill (maybe) some of the bacteria. I did not get sick. c.i.

I consider a real long fast of value.

A whole bunch more sick today or this last weekend which ever way you want to think about it:
http://dailynews.attbi.com/cgi-bin/news?e=pub&dt=021202&cat=news&st=newsleisurecruisedc

There is also a possibility that this is a terrorist act!

This is happening too many times in too short a space of time. It could be a terrorist act.

One the other hand, I once read something that said,

"Do you know how to create a crime wave? Put every story that usually went on page 14, on page 3!"

And if you want it to be bigger and faster - put it on page 1 (after calling it an "Evil Empire")!

I can draw one of two conclusions:

They are acts of terrorism, or

All of a sudden a bunch of ships are letting their guard down in terms of sanitation.

Either conclusion is lousy. The thing that bothers me, is that if the illnesses WERE acts of terrorism, the government is certainly not breathing a word about it!

I do not think they are an act of terrorism, because the terrorists would use chemicals to kill, not to sicken passengers. c.i.

c.i., not if the intent is economic terrorism. The economic outcome of 9/11 is still being felt, the death and property destruction was over in a few hours (granted, the psychological and security effects are also still being felt).

BillW, Don't you think, however, that killing the passengers on cruise boats would have a more devastating economic effect? It would stop the cruise line industry to a complete and immediate halt. And if you're talking about psychological effects, well, I can't think of anything more effective. c.i.