Cruise delayed after norovirus sickens 142

Cruise delayed after norovirus sickens 142

Ed Schoenfeld

The Sea Princess

JUNEAU, ALASKA (2011-06-14) A recent norovirus outbreak onboard the Alaska cruise ship Sea Princess sickened more than a hundred passengers.

Princess Cruises says a total of 142 people became ill during the ship’s May 30th-to-June 9th cruise, which visited Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan.

The San Francisco-based ship’s next departure was pushed back while crews disinfected the Sea Princess. Spokeswoman Karen Candy says the delay was just four hours. But it was enough to force route changes.

Sitka gained an unscheduled stop, Juneau saw the ship later than expected and Haines lost a docking.

The Sea Princess carries about 2,000 passengers and 900 crew members during 10-day Inside Passage cruises. Other stops along the route can include Skagway, Tracy Arm and Victoria, British Columbia.

Norovirus, also called Norwalk-like virus, is a common gastrointestinal illness that causes diarrhea and vomiting. Princess Cruises says it followed U.S. Centers for Disease Control protocols in reporting the illness and cleaning the vessel before its latest sailing.

The cruise line says norovirus numbers were also higher than usual during the ship’s two previous trips.

CDC inspected the Sea Princess on May 24th and identified 13 problems, including a leaking pipe at a soup station. However, all the issues were considered minor and the overall health rating was high.

© Copyright 2011, CoastAlaska

Risques émergents en agro-alimentaire

Virus (Norovirus, Hepatite A et E, Rotavirus, Adénovirus, Astrovirus...), Bactéries (Campylobacter, Vibrio, Cronobacter, ECEH, E.coli...) des pathogènes émergents qu'il faut surveiller !

Top Ten Pathogens-Food Combinations

Researchers at the University of Florida's Emerging Pathogens Institute have identified for the first time the 10 riskiest combinations of foods and illness-causing microorganisms.


The combinations are responsible for nearly 3.9 million illnesses, about 30,000 hospitalizations and 765 deaths per year in the U.S., according to a report being released publicly today.

Researchers say they hope the list will lead regulators to concentrate on potentially contaminated foods that pose the greatest threat to public health.

Read more CLIC

UF identifies riskiest food-pathogen combos (Norovirus, Toxoplasma, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria)

FOOD SAFETY NEWS SCAN: Norovirus in oysters, tainted meat indictment

Oyster norovirus outbreak led to household transmission
A 2009 norovirus outbreak linked to oysters served at a North Carolina restaurant sickened more than 200 people and had a secondary attack rate of 14%, researchers reported today in an early online edition of Epidemiology and Infection. Though the restaurant received oyster shipments from several different growing areas and used them in a variety of menu items, the multiagency investigators linked the illnesses to oysters from a specific Louisiana growing area. The authors said that although the secondary attack rate is consistent with other reports of point-source norovirus outbreaks, the outbreak shows how exposure to a contaminated food vehicle can be widely distributed. They also suggested that the minimum temperature for steaming raw oysters should be higher than the typical 145.4 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds.
Apr 28 Epidemiol Infect abstract

Federal officials indict man who sold tainted meat
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials, along with the US District Attorney's office, yesterday announced the indictment of a Puerto Rican man for violations of federal meat and poultry inspection laws. On Apr 6 a grand jury indicted Filiberto Berrios on four counts of adulteration, transport, distribution, and sale of contaminated products. He was arrested on Apr 12. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service investigators found the violations during routine review operations at cold storage facilities in Puerto Rico. According to the charges, Berrios, a salvage operator, bought 45,582 pounds of spoiled and misbranded meat and poultry on Jun 25, 2009, repackaged it, and then took it to a food warehouse for sale to restaurants, retail stores, and other outlets. After microbiological tests found that the meat was unfit for human consumption, the products were destroyed. Berrios faces jail time or fines if convicted; he is currently free on bail.
Apr 27 USDA press release

Molecular detection of multiple viral targets in untreated urban sewage from Greece

Urban sewage virological analysis may produce important information about the strains that cause clinical and subclinical infections in the population, thus supporting epidemiological studies.Methods In the present study, a twenty one-month survey (November 2007 to July 2009) was conducted in order to evaluate the presence of human adenoviruses (hAdV), hepatitis A viruses (HAV), hepatitis E viruses (HEV), Noroviruses (NoV), and human Polyomaviruses (hPyV) in untreated sewage samples collected from the inlet of Patras'municipal biological wastewater treatment plant, located in southwestern Greece. Nucleic acid amplification techniques were applied for viral nucleic acid detection.

Positive samples were confirmed by sequencing and comparative phylogenetic analysis was performed on the isolated viral strains.Results In total, viruses were detected in 87.5% (42/48) of sewage samples. AdVs, PyVs, HAV, and NoVs were detected in 45.8% (22/48), 68.8% (33/48), 8.3% (4/48), and 6.3% (3/48) of the samples collected from the plant's inlet, while HEV was not detected at all.

Adenovirus types 8 (Ad8), 40 (Ad40) and 41 (Ad41) were recognized, while JC and BK polyomaviruses were recorded. Noroviruses were identified as GII.4.

HAV was typed as genotype IA.

Conclusions Our study demonstrates the advantages of environmental surveillance as a tool to elucidate the molecular epidemiology of community circulating viruses. We underline the need of environmental surveillance programs in countries such as Greece with inadequate and problematic epidemiological surveillance system and no environmental surveillance system currently in action.

Author: Petros KokkinosPanos ZirosAggeliki MpalasopoulouAlex GalanisApostolos Vantarakis
Credits/Source: Virology Journal 2011, 8:195

Norovirus Attacks Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals

It seems that norovirus has raised its ugly head on Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals. As per reports, following an outbreak of norovirus in the Doncaster’s main hospital, two wards with number 30 and 31 have been closed to contain the infection.

If statistics are to be believed, almost 600,000 people get affected with norovirus every year in the UK, which is caused by poor hygienic conditions.

Apparently, the infection was caught in the ward 31 in February, which snowballed into ward 31 within two days. Deciphering the safety of the health staff, the trust quarantined the two infected wards from the visits of people.

With the risk of norovirus spiraling into other people, concerned health authorities have appealed people to avert any visit to the hospital in order to contain the infection unless it’s urgent or unavoidable

With the concerned health authorities cautioning people and the health staff about the spreading infection, Maurice Madeo, Deputy Director of infection prevention and control, at the hospital, claimed, “We advise staff to wash their hands before and after every patient contact – and that’s advice we could all adopt – wash your hands frequently and regularly with a good anti-bacterial handwash or soap”.

Submitted by Kanika Mehta on Wed, 04/27/2011 - 11:52 TNM Health

NBA Teams Sickened by Contagious Norovirus

EMSL Analytical, Inc. provides environmental testing services to prevent contagious viruses from causing outbreaks in arenas, schools and other public settings.


PRLog (Press Release) – Apr 18, 2011 – Last week it was reported that an outbreak of a stomach virus that impacted 13 NBA teams was caused by the norovirus. Within the 13 teams, 21 players became ill, including some well known stars.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Noroviruses (genus Norovirus, family Caliciviridae) are a group of related, single-stranded RNA, non-enveloped viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans. The most common symptoms of acute gastroenteritis are diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Norovirus is the official genus name for the group of viruses previously described as “Norwalk-like viruses” (NLV). Noroviruses spread from person to person, through contaminated food or water, and by touching contaminated surfaces. Norovirus is recognized as the leading cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks in the United States. Outbreaks can happen to people of all ages and in a variety of settings.” The virus is also capable of being transmitted by air if dried vomit particles becoming airborne.

The virus has made headlines over the last several years due to highly publicized outbreaks on major cruise lines. The CDC reports, “Norovirus illness often begins suddenly and, when infected, you may feel very sick, with stomach cramping, vomiting, or diarrhea. Infections are usually not serious, and most people recover within 1 or 2 days with no long-term health effects. But, more severe illness is possible, particularly in young children, the elderly, and people with other health conditions, and can lead to hospitalization and even death.”

EMSL Analytical, one of the nation’s largest environmental testing laboratories, has PCR testing capabilities for viruses such as norovirus and enterovirus. “Noroviruses are highly contagious and as few as 10 viral particles may be sufficient to infect an individual according to some research,” reported Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President, Marketing at EMSL. “To prevent outbreaks it’s important to test for these viruses and when suspected outbreaks do occur testing will help identify the culprit,” he continued.

Quand l'homme donne la gastro à l'huître : NOROVIRUS

Actualités

Mots clés : Conchiliculture, Étang De Thau, Huîtres, Virus, Languedoc-Roussillon
11/02/2011 | Mise à jour : 19:59
Par Yves Miserey

Where not to go with the Norovirus!

from Dr Kishore
Public health bosses are issuing their annual warning to those unfortunate enough to contract the Winter Vomiting Virus.
A number of cases of Norovirus have been reported so far this year, and Director of Public Health Dr Parameswaran Kishore says it's imperative people don't spread the disease by going to hospital with it.
He says if you have it, stay at home for at least 48 hours, so there is no risk of passing on the highly-contagious disease to others.
Dr Kishore adds that, in such circumstances, it is even more important to stay away from hospitals, GP surgeries and pharmacies:
Listen To Related Audio Clip

Cefas launches shellfish testing service for Norovirus

A commercial shellfish testing service has been unveiled by Cefas' subsidiary, Cefas Technology Ltd. It is aimed at producers and local authorities. Until now, Cefas' shellfish testing has been a service provided to regulatory clients. Now, it is providing “a range of tests for all major, commercially grown bivalve shellfish - for norovirus, E. coli and Salmonella spp - using internationally recognised testing protocols” and delivered by a “team of distinguished international scientists”.

TORBAY Hospital : ...we had many more norovirus cases to deal with...

Hospital has 'robust plan' to deal with problems posed by winter

By Olivier Vergnault Overgnault@Heraldexpress.co.uk

TORBAY Hospital has prepared a 'robust winter plan' to deal better with an influx of patients during winter.
Paul Mears, chief operating officer with South Devon Healthcare Trust, told a board meeting this week that the hospital had been stretched last winter because of prolonged difficult weather conditions.
He said: "It has been challenging in terms of the tough weather conditions which led to a rising number of injuries.
"We also had to prepare for the swine flu epidemic and we had many more norovirus cases to deal with.

"It had a bigger impact on the accident and emergency department and the four-hour standard, and had an adverse impact on the ambulance turnaround performance."
As part of the plans, a better bed management policy has been put in place, while senior physicians will be on site at all times to ensure that patients can be appropriately treated, admitted and discharged.
Mr Mears said electronic whiteboards had been installed throughout the hospital to give nurses and doctors access to every bed and improve discharge efficiency.
In his report to the board he said: "This year for the first time we are holding a winter planning seminar for all matrons from the acute trust together with matrons from community hospitals and key community staff."
However, he warned that despite the measures taken to make sure that Torbay Hospital coped well during the winter months, social care budgets could go up, causing a challenge to the transfer of patients to community beds.
The hospital also needed to be ready for staffing problems when nurses and doctors were sick.

Mr Mears' report added: "The risk of norovirus remains high. We are working with our infection control teams to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to ensure that our policies for managing infection are effective."
Meanwhile, people across South Devon are being encouraged to protect themselves from flu this winter by having a vaccination.
This year's annual seasonal flu vaccination campaign has now been launched by the Department of Health.
This year, for the first time, all pregnant women will be offered the seasonal flu vaccination.
It will protect them against the H1N1 virus (swine flu) that will still be circulating this winter, and pregnant women who catch this strain are at an increased risk of severe disease and flu-related hospital admissions.
Everyone aged 65 and over is routinely offered the jab, as are younger people with long-term conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, multiple sclerosis and serious kidney and liver disease.
Around 15 million people in the UK have the jab, which must be administered every year, as it is altered to match the flu strains which are in circulation.

Sick restaurant workers trudge into work regardless, study says

A new study suggests consumers may have more to worry about when dining out than the bill. The restaurant workers’ union, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, conducted a study involving more than 4,000 workers; the majority of whom admitted to working while sick.
Sixty-three percent of restaurant employees said they cooked or served food while ill during the last 12 months because they needed the money.
Many foodborne illnesses can be spread from person-to-food, with the potential to sicken hundreds of people. Diseases such as Salmonella, E. coli and Norovirus can be transmitted from sick food handlers who don’t wash their hands properly or handle ready-to-eat foods and utensils. In April, sick food workers at an Illinois Subway restaurant sickened at least 125 people with Shigella, hospitalizing 13 people.
ROCU argues the study highlights the need for more paid sick days to protect workers and consumers.
"The main thing that I think I took away from the research was that when restaurant workers are unhealthy, there's a real potential for consumers to be unhealthy," ROC Policy Coordinator Jose Oliva said to The News-Herald. "In the context of this great recession, we're seeing that employers are pushing workers more and more, and that's manifested in a lot more workers in restaurants working longer hours and doing it for less pay. As the study demonstrates, they are without some basic standards, as well as health insurance."
Other alarming statistics the study found:
-38 percent of workers said they had done something while working that put their safety at risk.
-36 percent said their kitchens sometimes get so hot that conditions are unsafe.
-Almost half said they had been either cut or burned on the job.
-Almost 90 percent don’t get health insurance through their employers.
Sick restaurant workers trudge into work regardless, study says
By Danielle Koagel
October 04, 2010

CFIA Warns Consumers Against Pacific Rim Oysters

Submitted by Gene Rickman on Sat, 10/02/2010 - 12:16 Health TNM Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has urged the consumers to steer clear of Pacific Rim oysters as they are suspected to contain norovirus.
In the previous week also, CFIA issued a warning about Effingham extra small raw oysters that were processed at Albion Fisheries and Sea World Fisheries in Vancouver.
The tainted Pacific Rim Petite raw oysters are from the lot numbers 1091501 and 1092204. The original lot numbers may not be available, as many oysters have already been dispatched to restaurants and several retail outlets.
The CFIA had also said that oysters contaminated with food-borne pathogens may look or smell fresh, so the consumers should be careful while eating the oysters. A person may suffer from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, headache, neck stiffness, and dizziness, if he/she consumes the contaminated oysters.
The most vulnerable people are young children, pregnant women, and elderly people with weak immune system.
In order to inquire about the contaminated product, the consumers can contact the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342.
The B. C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) says that in order to kill the virus, it is very essential to cook the oysters at an internal temperature of 90 C.
Norovirus generally spreads from one person to another person and oysters can carry the virus, if they are contaminated by waste water carried away in sewers and drains.

Vomiting bug outbreak hits special school due to NOROVIRUS

Vomiting bug outbreak hits special school
By RORY REYNOLDS
MORE than 60 staff and pupils at a Lothians school have been taken ill after a major outbreak of the winter vomiting bug.
It has emerged that 33 out the 100 pupils at Saltersgate Special Needs School were left with severe vomiting and diarrhoea after a strain of the norovirus began to spread.
A further 30 members of staff at the school have also been affected by noroADVERTISEMENT

virus, known as the winter vomiting bug, over the past three weeks.

NHS Lothian was called in to access the situation, and it decided that the school and its swimming pool, which it shares with Dalkeith High School and St David's RC High School on the Midlothian "super campus", could remain open.One teacher, who asked not to be named, told the Evening News that they believe the school should have been closed.

The teacher added that many pupils had recovered, only to return to school and be struck down again.

The teacher said: "I don't know how it didn't spread to the other two schools.

"We have pupils from the high schools coming in every day to help out and they were around pupils who were ill.

"I heard one of the pupils caught it three times.

"We've been having to take them to the toilet when they've been ill, and some of them have been having accidents in the pool.

"I can't believe the pool hasn't been closed.

The outbreak started earlier this month, and in a letter to parents headteacher Jean Loughlin said that an increasing number of pupils and staff had come down with the virus, adding that they should keep their children at home for 48 hours if they had the symptoms.

Dr Alison McCallum, director of public health and health policy, NHS Lothian, said: "A risk assessment was carried out and it was decided that pupils who were well enough to attend school could continue to have therapy sessions in the swimming pool because of the health benefits."

"The number of pupils affected has significantly reduced to the level one might normally find in a school environment.

"We have not received any reports of other children on the campus being unwell."

A Midlothian council spokesperson confirmed 33 pupils and 30 staff members had been affected, but said none are currently off due to the virus.

They added: "Advice from the public health officials was that a deep cleanse of the school should take place when all occurrences have ceased and this will take place on October 2 and 3."

SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR
THE Norovirus group is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in the UK.

Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and in some cases a fever, headache, stomach cramps and aching limbs.

There is no treatment for a norovirus infection. The NHS recommends sufferers stay at home, take paracetamol and eat foods that are easy to digest, such as soup, rice, pasta and bread.

NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK - RAW, UNDERCOOKED OYSTER CONSUMPTION ADVISORY

VANCOUVER – The BCCDC is urging restaurant owners and consumers to avoid serving and consuming raw or undercooked Effingham XSM (extra small) oysters harvested between September 7 and September 21, 2010.
Vancouver Coastal Health has identified three clusters of persons reporting diarrhoea and other intestinal symptoms among consumers who ate raw oysters at events and restaurants in Vancouver and Richmond. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed that all three clusters were linked to batches of oysters harvested between September 7th and 14th (specifically, Effingham XSM (extra small) raw oysters with lot numbers 172688, 172929, and NY-OY-10091401). The CFIA has initiated a recall of these products. More information about the recall can be found at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2010/20100923be.shtml
Other lots of Effingham XSM (extra small) raw oysters harvested between September 7 and September 21, 2010 have been distributed throughout BC.
RAW, UNDERCOOKED OYSTER CONSUMPTION ADVISORYis date is noted on the shellfish
harvest tag that accompanies all oysters, although this information may not be available to consumers. We urge consumers and restaurant owners to cook Effingham XSM oysters.

Oysters are grown in coastal waters and feed by filtering large amounts of water through their gills. In water contaminated with norovirus, this can lead to the accumulation of the virus within the flesh and gut of the oyster. Viruses cannot be removed from oysters through cleaning. However, cooking kills norovirus and other organisms that can cause gastrointestinal illness.

To reduce the risk of illness, you should cook oysters thoroughly, making sure they reach 90ºC (195ºF) for 90 seconds by checking with a meat thermometer. You can also reduce the risk of illness by buying shellfish only from approved sources.

Symptoms of the reported illness include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps. Most people showed symptoms within 48 hours of eating raw oysters and recovered in one to two days. These symptoms are typical of viral gastroenteritis caused by norovirus.

BCCDC, along with regional Health Authorities and partners within the federal and provincial governments are investigating the cause of this outbreak and have been working with the shellfish industry to reduce the risk of contamination in commercially harvested shellfish.

Anyone becoming ill with diarrhea and vomiting after eating shellfish should report their illness to their local public health department listed in the Blue Pages of the telephone book, or call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1. If symptoms are severe or persist, they should see their physician.

For more information on consumer and self-harvesting please visit www.bccdc.ca and www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Hospital gastro outbreak 'no need for concern'

Hospital gastro outbreak 'no need for concern'

Health officials are trying to contain a gastroenteritis outbreak that is affecting patients at the Canberra Hospital.
ACT Health is not saying exactly how many patients are sick with norovirus at the hospital.
It has closed one ward to admissions and is also dealing with cases in other wards.
The virus is highly contagious and causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
A spokeswoman says most of the affected patients are stable and none are in intensive care.
Health Minister Katy Gallagher says there is no need for concern.
"The hospital is operating. We've got as many beds open as we can have this time of year," she said.
"It is very busy at the hospital and all efforts are being put in place to manage the spread or the risk of this spreading.
"Nursing staff and infection control staff are very good at handling these situations."
ACT Health has put signs in the affected areas and is urging hospital visitors to wash their hands when entering and leaving wards.

Funds shortage may bring clean water project to a halt

The project was conceived to control the spread of water-borne diseases. According to a study, up to 60 per cent patients in hospitals have problems related to hepatitis, diarrhoea and typhoid.

Funds shortage may bring clean water project to a halt

Louisiana Hospital Food Poisoning Cases Linked to Chicken Salad - Norovirus

Louisiana Hospital Food Poisoning Cases Linked to Chicken Salad - AboutLawsuits.com

Visiting ban at Gloucestershire's norovirus hospitals

Visiting ban at Gloucestershire's norovirus hospitals : BBC News


The hospitals' maternity wards are not affected by the restrictions
Two of Gloucestershire's main hospitals have asked visitors to stay away after an outbreak of a vomiting bug.
Visiting has been stopped in all wards at Cheltenham General Hospital and Ward 7b at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
People are asked not to visit patients on those wards to control the spread of the bug.
The restrictions are being reviewed daily, but are expected to remain in place until at least the end of the week.
Dr Jim Stone, of the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This is a precautionary measure and good infection control practice to protect patients and control the spread of the illness.
"I hope that families and friends will understand why we are asking them not to visit for this short period."
Anyone wanting to visit a patient on compassionate grounds is asked to speak to a member of staff on entering the ward.
Visiting to maternity wards is not affected and visiting to children's wards is restricted to parents and carers.