Thinking about a holiday cruise? Read these tips on norovirus first for a healthy trip

Today’s guest blog post is by Janell Goodwin, a technical information specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

You may have heard the words “norovirus outbreak” and “cruise ships” in the same sentence more than a few times in the news. Norovirus is very common on cruise ships because of close living quarters. However, the majority of cases occur on land. The illness often gets brought on to cruise ships by passengers. So before you and your family pack up to go sailing the high seas, make sure you understand some of the basics of norovirus.

What is norovirus? Norovirus is a contagious virus that causes you to have stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and is often called “food poisoning” or “stomach flu.” Anyone can be infected with norovirus. In fact, it is the most common cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it causes between 19 million and 21 million illnesses annually. Norovirus illness can be very serious, especially for young children and older adults.

How do you get norovirus? You can get norovirus from contaminated food or water, by touching contaminated surfaces, or from an infected person. The virus spreads quickly and can even float through the air and settle on surfaces. Most outbreaks occur in food service settings, like restaurants or buffets, from people touching ready-to-eat foods with bare hands.

How can I prevent norovirus? You can help prevent the spread of illness by following these steps:

• Wash your hands often and carefully with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating or handling food and after using the restroom.
• Wash fruits and vegetables before preparing or eating them.
• Cook seafood thoroughly before eating.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces that may be contaminated using a chlorine bleach solution, at a ratio of 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water.
• Throw out food that might be contaminated.

What should I do if I get sick? Fortunately, norovirus tends to leave as quickly as it came in, usually lasting about one to three days. However, it could last as long as six days in young children, seniors and people who are immunocompromised. If you start to feel the symptoms of norovirus, be considerate of other people’s health with the following steps:

• Don’t prepare food or care for others who are sick for at least three days after symptoms stop.
• Get plenty of rest to rebuild your immune system.
• Drink lots of water to prevent dehydration.
• Stay put! Stay home — or in your room if you are on vacation or a cruise — to avoid infecting others.
• Clean and disinfect any surfaces or laundry that may be contaminated.
• If you are on a cruise, report your illness to the crew.

For more tips on safe food handling and norovirus, see USDA’s website.

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