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Celebrity Cruise Ship has Third Consecutive Outbreak of Sickness in a Month

By Paul Napoli

Passengers this week on the on the Celebrity Mercury cruise ship are the third consecutive voyage to become sickened with an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness, CNN reported at http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/03/16/cruise.ship.outbreak/index.html?hpt=T2.

In February during the first outbreak, about 20% of cruise passengers on Celebrity Mercury departing from Charleston, SC became ill with a norovirus. The government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) inspected the ship and made recommendations to prevent future outbreaks. Celebrity Cruises instituted a complete cleaning of the ship, delaying the ships departure for a full day.

The following voyage, about 10% of passengers contracted the illness.

Now, about 19% or 350 of the 1,829 passengers on the current cruise became ill, prompting Celebrity Mercury to return to its homeport in Charleston a day early. The company is working with the CDC to perform an enhanced cleaning of the ship, which will delay the ships departure by two days.

'Once Celebrity Mercury arrives in Charleston, we will conduct an extensive and thorough sanitizing onboard the ship and within the cruise terminal, as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, to help prevent any illness from affecting the subsequent sailing," said Daniel Hanrahan, president and chief executive officer of Celebrity Cruises. "I have made this decision to end the current sailing early and delay the next sailing because we want to maintain our high health standards onboard our ships, while providing our guests with the best cruise experience possible. The extra time we are taking to sanitize the ship will help prevent any additional guests from becoming ill."

Noroviruses are members of a group of viruses called caliciviruses also known previously as 'Norwalk-like viruses.' The symptoms of norovirus infection are nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea accompanied by abdominal cramps. Some people also complain of headache, fever or chills and muscle aches.

People may contract the norovirus by consuming contaminated food or liquid, touching contaminated surfaces or objects and then touching the mouth or by direct contact with another person who is infected and showing symptoms. Symptoms usually begin 24 to 48 hours after ingestion of the virus, but can appear as early as 12 hours after exposure and last for 1 or 2 days. However, during that brief period, people can feel very ill and vomit, often violently and without warning, many times a day.

While healthy people may also be at risk, persons with weakened immune systems, including those affected by AIDS, and persons with chronic alcohol abuse, liver, stomach or blood disorders, cancer, diabetes or kidney disease are especially vulnerable to health complications from norovirus.

Cruise ships that have a foreign itinerary with U.S. ports and carry more than 13 passengers must follow strict sanitation guidelines set forth by the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP). VSP inspections of cruise ships include the following:

• Medical Facilities: for gastrointestinal illness surveillance documentation and medical logs;
• Potable Water Systems: for source to storage, distribution, protection and any cross-connection, and the disinfection process;
• Swimming Pools and Whirlpool Spas: for filtration, disinfection, general maintenance, and safety;
• Galleys and Dining Rooms: for food protection during sourcing, provisioning, storage, preparation and service. Employee health and personal hygiene are evaluated as well as facility equipment maintenance and dishwashing;
• Child Activity Centers: for properly equipped diaper changing stations, toilets, and handwashing stations; facility disinfection; infection control for ill children;
• Hotel Accommodations: for routine cleaning sequences and infection control procedures during outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness, including the use of appropriate disinfectants and outbreak policies;
• Ventilation Systems: for maintenance and cleaning of air handling systems, and;
• Common Areas of the Ship: for integrated pest management strategies, general cleanliness, and maintenance.

Modern cruise ships are like small floating cities, with outstanding amenities, activities, food and adventures. Millions of people every year spend their vacation aboard a cruise ship. However, these passenger's vacations can become dangerous when their health and safety are put at risk. Cruise ships have a legal responsibility to use their highest degree of care to ensure passenger safety, including protection from contagious illnesses.

If you have suffered an illness due to a contagious disease such as norovirus while on a cruise ship, you need the services of an attorney experienced in cruise ship liability to recover the compensation you deserve. Call Napoli Bern Ripka, LLP today at 888-529-4669.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Napoli

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on March 22, 2010 (boomark / email).