Update: Norovirus was pathogen that plagued passengers, crew aboard cruise ship

2010-03-01 05:52:57 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Justice News Flash, Personal Injury)

Hundreds of people aboard a cruise ship were sickened by the norovirus.

Legal News for South Carolina Personal Injury Attorneys. Hundreds of people on board a cruise ship were sickened by the norovirus.

Personal injury lawyer alerts- Norovirus caused gastrointestinal illnesses aboard Celebrity Cruise ship; CDC to investigate.

Charleston, S.C. (News)—Pathogen tests conducted in response to hundreds of illness reports aboard a Celebrity Cruise ship confirmed that the culprit was in fact the norovirus. Complaints of gastrointestinal illnesses began on Sunday, February 21, 2010, leaving 419 of the 1,838 passengers and 27 of the 849 crew members sick by Tuesday, according to information provided by the Post and Courier as well as previous coverage by Justice News Flash. The Mercury vessel departed for the Caribbean islands from Charlotte, South Carolina on Monday, February 15, 2010, and will be returning today, February 26, 2010.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov, five stool samples were tested as a means of finding out the pathogen responsible for the outbreak of illnesses. When test results returned, all five of the samples “tested positive for norovirus”. The affected individuals aboard the ship reportedly experienced symptoms including “nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps, sometimes accompanied by a low-grade fever”. The norovirus was said to be extremely contagious, spreading through food, water, as well as physical contact with an affected individual, and allegedly lasts approximately one to two days. Some people, who were still sick as of Thursday, were quarantined aboard the Mercury as it made its way back to Charleston.

As a means of preventing the norovirus from continuing to spread as easily, crew members began “intensively sanitizing high-traffic areas”. CDC officials were expected to respond to the Union Pier passenger terminal to further assess the situation upon the cruise ships’ arrival.

Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan- Legal News for South Carolina Personal Injury Lawyers.