Holiday Claim as a Result of Food Poisoning on the Seas
The number of serious food poisoning outbreaks continues to rise. Hundreds of passengers aboard an International cruise liner have fallen ill with vomiting and diarrhea. The ship has been quarantined by the authorities in Brazil.
The food poisoning broke out on a ship owned by the Royal Caribbean International Company, and is said to affect over 310 passengers. The first detected case was so severe that only a few hours later the entire crew and passengers of the ship had been ordered to remain on board to contain the outbreak. Witnesses reported that although some crew members were affected, most victims of the illness “were passengers.”
24 hours later, passengers who showed no symptoms were free to leave. Those who were seriously ill with the bug were taken to the local hospital for treatment, with expenses paid by the Royal Caribbean.
Alexandre Raith, the spokesman for Royal Caribbean, said that the cruise ship contained a wide variety of nationalities, but “the vast majority are Brazilian.”
Health and hygiene inspectors have been working round the clock to determine the cause of the outbreak. Doctors have collected blood and urine samples as well as inspecting food preparation areas to determine the source of the food poisoning outbreak. It will be several weeks before conclusive results are available.
Melissa Holland was a passenger on-board a cruise around the Caribbean last year when she was stricken with food poisoning. Today she expressed sympathy to the victims on board the quarantined ship.
‘It was horrible. The motion of the waves made me ill, and then I got food poisoning. It was supposed to be the trip of a life time; I just counted the days to get home.’
What are the symptoms of Norovirus food poisoning?
Nausea
Vomiting,
Diarrhoea
Stomach pain.
Headache
Fever
Most cases of Norovirus infection are short lived. The virus develops between 24 and 48 hours after contaminated food or water is ingested and rarely lasts more than 60 hours.
The majority of individuals who contract a norovirus are fully recovered within a few days, and it is rare to suffer long term complications.
An infection in vulnerable people (especially elderly people and young infants) can be deadly – causing severe dehydration, malnutrition, and even death.
With food poisoning cases striking an alarming number of cruise ships – food hygienists are advising tourists to take extra care with hand washing and to be cautious about the food they eat. Cruise companies continue to battle the spread of bacteria as a matter of financial and medical urgency. As increasing numbers of food poisoning victims are choosing to make a holiday claim against negligent cruise companies, a norovirus can be costly in more ways than one.