Why does Norovirus only hit cruise ships?
Published Sunday, February 2nd 2014 - Updated Monday, February 3rd 2014
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OK, bottom line first, cruise ships are required to self report it to the CDC, your local school, summer camp, vacation resorts, major cities are not. Neither are your work places, shopping malls, theaters, or restaurants. Read on and see if you do not agree. Comments welcome.
Cruise ships must report even when they do not have a single case on a sailing. Even zero cases are required to be reported. So why does the press report cruise lines, because they are practically the only ones who report it to the press. All those other places where 98% plus of all cases of norovisus originate are not!
So is the CDC picking on cruise lines? Yes and No. The CDC searches for as well as studies outbreaks that might affect public health and so are very interested in an outbreak of any illness that is communicable.
Your chances of becoming ill from norovirus, according to the CDC, are one in 16 just by being in the USA during any given year. That is 500+ more times likely than on a cruise. So I guess yes, compared to other public venues the CDC has it in for the cruise lines. Why? Because they can, and because the other locations with far more incidents of norovirus are not required by regulation/law. Is norovirus easy to diagnose? No, its quite difficult and your average clinical laboratory can not detect it.
Norovisus is a serious problem in the United States. Cruise ships have modern facilities to both identify and manage the illness and in fact probably have more awareness and capability to handle it then most hospitals. Look at the CDC grapic below. By US law, cruise lines are required to report to the country they are sailing to the incidence of illness, even zero cases.
According to the CDC, over 98% of norovirus cases are not required to be reported, perhaps our media could focus a little of their attention on that as well as the cruise lines. We all know most of the reasons why your favorite mall and resort do not "have" to report, don't we?
Currently, state, local, and territorial health departments are not required to report individual cases of norovirus illness to a national surveillance system. They may not know about such cases because most hospitals and doctor’s offices do not have capability to test for norovirus. The virus is usually diagnosed only when an outbreak happens.
So my bottom line, treat what you hear in the press with even more skepticism when it comes to cruise lines, and talk to your travel agent about the facts. Better yet, talk to the CDC about the facts.
So learn more about the causes, incidents, and what to avoid by the CDC.
Cruise ships must report even when they do not have a single case on a sailing. Even zero cases are required to be reported. So why does the press report cruise lines, because they are practically the only ones who report it to the press. All those other places where 98% plus of all cases of norovisus originate are not!
So is the CDC picking on cruise lines? Yes and No. The CDC searches for as well as studies outbreaks that might affect public health and so are very interested in an outbreak of any illness that is communicable.
Your chances of becoming ill from norovirus, according to the CDC, are one in 16 just by being in the USA during any given year. That is 500+ more times likely than on a cruise. So I guess yes, compared to other public venues the CDC has it in for the cruise lines. Why? Because they can, and because the other locations with far more incidents of norovirus are not required by regulation/law. Is norovirus easy to diagnose? No, its quite difficult and your average clinical laboratory can not detect it.
Norovisus is a serious problem in the United States. Cruise ships have modern facilities to both identify and manage the illness and in fact probably have more awareness and capability to handle it then most hospitals. Look at the CDC grapic below. By US law, cruise lines are required to report to the country they are sailing to the incidence of illness, even zero cases.
According to the CDC, over 98% of norovirus cases are not required to be reported, perhaps our media could focus a little of their attention on that as well as the cruise lines. We all know most of the reasons why your favorite mall and resort do not "have" to report, don't we?
Currently, state, local, and territorial health departments are not required to report individual cases of norovirus illness to a national surveillance system. They may not know about such cases because most hospitals and doctor’s offices do not have capability to test for norovirus. The virus is usually diagnosed only when an outbreak happens.
So my bottom line, treat what you hear in the press with even more skepticism when it comes to cruise lines, and talk to your travel agent about the facts. Better yet, talk to the CDC about the facts.
So learn more about the causes, incidents, and what to avoid by the CDC.
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