Cruising is often fun. But sometimes it’s a treat. And not just in the evening, thanks to the all-you-can-eat buffet. More than 500 people travelling on a P&O Cruises ship were affected by a norovirus outbreak in May, according to la BBCThe latter was declared on board the Ventura, which had left the port of Southampton on May 11 for a two-week cruise around the Canary Islands.
P&O Cruises is accused of understating the number of passengers and crew who fell ill. On May 22, the company announced that 0.64% of those on board had symptoms of the virus, without providing exact figures. But further investigation found that 519 of the 4,200 passengers were affected, a rate of about 12.3%.
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Passengers isolated in their cabins
When questioned, the company defended itself through its spokesperson by specifying that the announced rate of 0.64% corresponded “to people who were symptomatic at that time and that it also demonstrated the effectiveness of the protocols applied since the numbers subsequently decreased considerably”.
In May, passengers on the ship spoke of the inconvenience caused by the virus, saying they had to isolate themselves in their cabins while the ship was disinfected. Other holidaymakers due to board the Ventura for Spain and France on 25 May were asked to postpone their arrival by a few hours, to allow teams to carry out a deep cleaning of the vessel.
Horacio Villalobos / Getty Images
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Norovirus, the main cause of gastroenteritis
In France, recalls Anses (the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety), noroviruses are the main cause of acute gastroenteritis in all age groups. “The majority of collective food poisoning (TIAC) to nororovirus in France is linked to the consumption of contaminated shellfish, in particular oysters eaten raw. Mixed dishes, such as sandwiches or mixed salads, and certain vegetables eaten raw, such as red fruits, can also be the cause of these poisonings.”
Concretely, the agency continues, noroviruses cause acute gastroenteritis for 2 to 3 days on average and without complications. In children and the elderly, the duration of symptoms can be longer.
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Southampton City Council, which is responsible for the port’s health administration, said it had worked with UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) “to offer assistance to the ship upon its return”Nastassya Chandra, UKHSA’s incident response manager, said, however, that: “since May, the incidence rate of norovirus has remained higher than usual and has only begun to decrease in recent weeks”.
Protocols to limit epidemics
Still, the May outbreak is bad publicity for the company. In June, a woman who had already booked her cruise shared her doubts with the BBC. “If we could cancel and get a refund, we would. As would our friends who have health issues.”
P&O Cruises, for its part, assures that it has the situation under control. “We are working closely with relevant global and regional health authorities,” a spokesperson said. “And we have approved, recognized and proven protocols in place on every cruise to safeguard the health and well-being of all guests and crew on board.”
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Cruise ships, with their many confined spaces and high population density, are an ideal setting for viruses to proliferate. One recalls the nightmare of the Diamond Princess: 3,700 people, 700 of whom were infected with the coronavirus, had to remain in quarantine for the entire month of February 2020 on an Anglo-American ship stranded off the coast of Japan.
