# Another cruise liner bites the dust..



## rushie (Jul 5, 2005)

What's happening...???!!!!

_Passengers struck down by virus 

The Black Prince carries out weekly and fortnightly cruises 
More than 100 passengers on a cruise which left Leith Docks last weekend have been struck down by a "highly contagious" winter-vomiting virus. 
The liner the Black Prince, which has been sailing from Leith since 2002, is due back in Scotland on Saturday. 

Up to 116 cases of the Norovirus have been confirmed on the Fred Olsen liner. 

It left Leith on 3 June, bound for a seven-night cruise of the Norwegian fjords, with 210 crew and 412 passengers on board. 

In a statement the cruise line company said the passengers who have been diagnosed with the bug have been confined to their cabins. 

The company routinely carries out extensive cleansing and disinfecting programmes 

Fred Olsen statement 

The company said: "Fred Olsen Cruise Lines can confirm that there have been a number of cases of a Noro-type virus on its ship Black Prince during the current cruise. 

"The company routinely carries out extensive cleansing and disinfecting programmes every day and immediately the first cases were reported it put into place an even more rigorous hygiene regime. 

"The next cruise is due to depart from Leith on 10 June and the sailing time has been delayed to mid-evening to allow for extensive treatment of the ship." 

The company said outbreaks of the virus were "extremely common". 

"It is highly contagious and is spread by person-to-person contact, and from fixtures such as furniture or handrails if recently touched by an infected person." _ 

Amazing...that's 6 now...

Rushie


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## Santos (Mar 16, 2005)

*Another cruise liner bites the dust*

NOROVIRUS, MRSA, the list will go on, until somebody somewhere explains to everyone just what a dirty lot mankind has become.

Mankind is basically lazy, selfish and piggish were hygine is concerned. When I was a kid you ate at home or in a cafe not on the train or the bus or walking along the street. Eating I might add without washing their hands before they handled their food. They then get sick and pass it on to everyone else. You cant walk down a street these days without somebody passing you eating something. They then chuck the wrapping in the road, which attracts rats and mice and you know what happens next.

Hygine and basic standards have gone out of the window and until they return these outbreaks will carry on. People are infected before they join the ships. They are going to have their cruise not matter what the cost to other people.

Chris.


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## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

Mankind has certainly become more lazy, selfish and piggish Santos, but there is not an easy answer to outbreaks of gastroenteritis. See my posts in another thread on this started by BMW Simon. You may understand a little more about these stomach bugs which are caused by many things and can be either bacteria or virus which I have tried to explain in detail.

MRSA is basically due to our success with antibiotics. MRSA stands for Methicillin Resitant Staphylococcus Aureus. You will see me mentioning Staphylococcus when describing the bacteria form of gastroenteritis in the other post, the far more likely cause aboard cruise ships lately and will certainly be the cause of tummy upsets this weekend when people get the barby out?!.

As for MRSA, as I indicated, it came about due to our success with antibiotics. Methicillin is an antibiotic used for many years to treat Staphylococcus aureus infections. It is now resistant as are others. We rely too much on anitbiotics now and nature is basically telling us to slow down.

People can become carriers of MRSA as with Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus is a member of a group of bacteria that cause boils, other infections and a type of food poisoning mentioned in another post. The same symptoms can also be caused by a virus, the the latter is far easier to remove by washing and as I said in the other post, does not live for long outside it's environment unlike bacteria which can. 

One of the problems of outbreaks of gastroenteritis whether bacteria or viral or indeed MRSA is that the general public are not aware of the full facts. This leads to blaming others for spreading these infections. As I said in the other post, during my time at sea gastroenteritis whether bacteria or viral was always traced back to a crew member, or poor food handling or storing. This was never made public of course. With past experience, testing shoreside from hospitals, nursing homes, guest houses, hotels and restaurants etc as well as individuals, I would be quite amazed if single passengers take these bugs aboard, just as you cannot accuse those at the barby this weekend of infecting you rather than the cooking of the food, the storing of it and of course the hygiene of those cooking it. David


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