Norovirus Outbreak On P&O Cruise Ship, Passengers "Drop Like Flies": Report

Passengers have been "dropping like flies" aboard the P&O cruise ship, owing to a suspected norovirus outbreak, a report in Sky News has claimed. The P&O Iona, carrying 5,000 guests and 1,800 staff members is currently passing Belgium on a seven-day cruise across northern Europe.

"People [were] throwing up in restaurants, on decks, outside cabins," one of the passengers told the publication, adding that "a large number" of guests and staff were experiencing the virus symptoms.

P&O Cruises confirmed that some guests have reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness but refused to provide update on the health of cruise staffers. It said the proportion of guests affected was lower than one per cent (500) of the total number.

"P&O Cruises works with global, national and regional public health authorities on approved and proven protocols across our ships in order to protect the health and wellbeing of all on board," a P&O spokesperson said.

"Gastrointestinal related illness is very common in the UK and is predominantly spread by person to person transmission in environments such as hotels, schools and restaurants."

The company informed that any guest who experienced virus symptoms and was not able to take part in 'shore activities' would be fully refunded.

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What is norovirus?

It is a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis, commonly known as the stomach flu. It's the leading cause of foodborne illness worldwide, responsible for millions of cases annually.

In some cases, many patients may experience dehydration due to severe vomiting and diarrhea. Dehydration can contribute to some additional symptoms like dry mouth, decrease in urination and dizziness.

There is no particular medication to treat norovirus illness. To avoid dehydration, doctors recommend drinking plenty of liquids to replace the lost fluid. It is also essential to wash your hands regularly with soap and water as the virus can stay in the feces of recovered people for at least two weeks.

Earlier this week, data from NHS England showed that almost 1,160 patients a day on average were in the hospital with the virus. The cases have risen to the highest level since records began in 2012, as per a BBC report.

Similarly, at the start of the year, a norovirus outbreak was reported in the US by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).