Norovirus Outbreaks Impact Both Human Health and Businesses

Oct. 9, 2011 - PRLog -- An article published this year in USA Today described a double outbreak of the norovirus on a single cruise ship providing vacation trips departing that departed from San Francisco to Alaska.  Both outbreaks occurred on the 2,000 passenger luxury cruise ship in May.  On the first voyage over 140 passengers and crew became ill with norovirus symptoms.  The second cruise, which departed 10 days later, had approximated the same number of people developing the illness.

The cruise line responded with additional sanitation and health staff to help bring the outbreak under control and to prevent additional outbreaks.  Due to cases like these, that have become all too common on cruise ships, some in the industry now refer to the norovirus as the cruise ship virus.  

Noroviruses can cause severe gastrointestinal illness in infected people. According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), “People get a norovirus infection directly from an ill individual who did not wash his hands adequately, or indirectly from food or water contaminated by the stool or vomit from an infected person, or from airborne particles produced by those vomiting.”

“In the United States, the CDC estimates that more than 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis are due to norovirus infections each year.  The avoidable impact to human health and the financial costs to industry are high,” reported Derrick A. Denis, V.P. of Indoor Environmental Quality at Clark Seif Clark, a leading provider of indoor air quality (IAQ) and infection control prevention services.  “Noroviruses are contagious.  Fortunately there are preventive measures that can be implemented to reduce the risk or the extent of an outbreak.”

CSC has sponsored an educational video about the risks associated with the norovirus.  It can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFxoxW_TdKw



To learn more about how Clark Seif Clark can help to reduce the incidence of and manage the response to environmental issues such as infectious pathogens, indoor air quality (IAQ), industrial hygiene, and health and safety projects, please visit http://www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.

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About Clark Seif Clark (CSC)
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address environmental, IAQ, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.