Cruise passengers, crew may have Norwalk virus
By Karen Blakeman and Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writers
A cruise ship carrying more than 200 passengers thought to be infected with the Norwalk virus arrived in Honolulu yesterday and is scheduled to dock on Kaua'i today and Maui tomorrow, but federal health authorities said the Sun Princess appears to have the outbreak under control.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
No one required hospitalization or care beyond that offered by the ship's doctor.
Federal health officials said after the cruise ship Sun Princess arrived in Honolulu yesterday that it seemed to have an outbreak of illness aboard under control.
Passengers aboard the Princess Cruises vessel began showing symptoms of gastroenteritis — possibly a Norwalk or Norwalk-like virus — within a few days of sailing from Los Angeles on Jan. 25, said Thomas Dow, a spokesman for Princess Cruises and Tours. According to a statement issued by the company, 223 passengers and 24 crew members, about 11 percent of the people on board, became ill.
The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires cruise ships to report every case of gastrointestinal illness. The federal agency considers illnesses involving 3 percent or more of passengers or crew to be an "outbreak."
Dow said precautions to prevent the spread of the illness were taken immediately, including discontinuing self-service options at the ship's buffet line, and shutting the line down between meals.
Passengers were told to remain in their cabins until symptoms disappeared, he said. Free, on-board medical care, room service and bottled water were provided.
About 50 passengers were thought to have remained ill yesterday, Dow said. Four people developed initial symptoms yesterday.
Carmel Schranz, a Sun Princess passenger who disembarked in Honolulu yesterday with his wife, Mary, said he got sick two days after boarding and remained ill for five days. His wife was sick for about 24 hours at the outset.
"Vomiting," Schranz, a Malta immigrant who lives in San Diego, said as he checked through security near Aloha Tower.
"Continuous."
"The doctor gave us a letter saying they were taking every precaution necessary under the world to stop it.
"You can't even reach for a cup of coffee now. And before you enter the dining room they give you a disinfectant to clean your hands."
The cruise company could not, Schranz said, stop them from taking their scheduled tours in Honolulu, Nawiliwili and Lahaina.
"They have no control over us," he said.
"We don't have fevers or anything," Mary Schranz said.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
According to the CDC, Norwalk-like viruses, common worldwide, cause symptoms usually characterized as the stomach flu. Those who are afflicted might experience nausea and diarrhea. A low-grade fever might accompany the illness.
Princess Cruises spokesman Thomas Dow said precautions to prevent the spread of the illness were taken immediately
The virus is highly contagious and spreads easily in confined spaces, such as cruise ships and nursing homes. Since October, the number of shipboard outbreaks has increased. Karen Hunter, a CDC spokeswoman, said the spike may be part of a natural cycle of the disease, which showed a similar spike about a decade ago.
Cruise ships are routinely inspected by the CDC for unsanitary conditions that could lead to outbreaks. The Sun Princess and her sister ships have received scores well within the passing range, according to CDC inspection records.
Dow said Princess Cruises has trained its staff on measures to take to prevent the spread of the disease and also has a special decontamination "SWAT" team that is flown in to decontaminate the vessels. The team arrived in Honolulu yesterday morning.
A similar outbreak occurred on a Princess ship sailing near Alaska eight months ago, Dow said.
The Hawai'i cruise is a round trip out of Los Angeles, Dow said, and the ship is not expected to pick up additional passengers during its three stops in the Islands.
According to a written statement from Princess Cruises, passengers scheduled to board the ship in Los Angeles next Sunday will be informed of the outbreak.
Dow said those passengers who were ill with the virus for the usual duration of one or two days while aboard ship will not be offered discounts or refunds, but ship officials will give consideration to those who were sick for longer periods.
Most people who come down with the virus do not experience serious consequences, according to CDC fact sheets on Norwalk and Norwalk-like viruses, but those who cannot keep down enough water and become dehydrated will experience a more severe illness and should be carefully monitored.
The virus can be spread by eating food that has been contaminated, or by touching a person who has the virus. The infected person will show symptoms 12 to 48 hours after exposure, but can spread the disease to others long before it is apparent.
The Schranzes, like many other cruise passengers, are seasoned travelers. Carmel Schranz said he and his wife have taken a total of 39 cruises and have never experienced the disease before, but this instance has cooled his enthusiasm.
When asked whether the experience would stop them from taking another cruise, the Schranzes answered simultaneously:
"Oh, you bet your life," Carmel Schranz said. "I lost five days; that is one-third of the cruise. I had no fun, I lost out on the entertainment and I didn't eat for five days."
Mary Schranz answered with a single word: "No."
