Coronal Holes:
A solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole could reach Earth as early as May 3rd. Image credit: SOHO Extreme UV Imager
Coronal Holes:
A solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole could reach Earth as early as May 3rd. Image credit: SOHO Extreme UV Imager
Passengers Sickened On Norwegian Cruise Line Ship Norovirus Suspected In Some Illnesses
POSTED: 7:10 pm EDT April 30, 2004 UPDATED: 7:19 pm EDT April 30, 2004
PHILADELPHIA -- What was supposed to be the vacation of a lifetime is turning out to be a nightmare for many Delaware Valley passengers.
A Norwegian Crown cruise ship left Philadelphia last Sunday bound for Bermuda. The ship is expected to return this weekend, but many of the passengers will not be as healthy as they were when they started their journey.
People started getting sick within days of shoving off. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is testing the ship to confirm their suspicion that the passengers were sickened by the Norovirus, formerly known as the Norwalk virus.
But that wasn't the only problem on the ship. Paul and Becky Montini were among those affected by problems on the ship.
"He had been sick and having headaches from almost the first that they went out and he went down to the infirmary Monday night or Tuesday morning, I think. There was about 50 or 60 people there, he said," said Helene Montini, Paul's sister.
Montini called his family Tuesday from the Norwegian Crown. Montini said people were sick, had been confined to their cabins and were put up in hotel rooms once they got to Bermuda. Montini's sister said he was most concerned about his pregnant wife, Becky.
"There was a very foul odor and it smelled like fuel -- just the headaches, the constant headaches. His wife is pregnant -- she's five-months pregnant," Helene Montini said.
Norwegian Cruise Line says, and the CDC confirms, that 33 passengers and two crewmembers came down with gastrointestinal problems. The CDC suspects the passenger were infected with the Norovirus, which cause vomiting and diarrhea for up to 48 hours.
Paul's problem wasn't viral. He suffered severe headaches from fumes in his cabin. Norwegian Cruise Lines said damage to a fuel ventilator affected 50 cabins and 63 passengers suffered headaches and nausea. Three of those passengers received medical treatment.
Norwegian Cruise Lines has compensated cooperating passengers.
A CDC representative said Norovirus is one of the most common causes of gastrointestinal problems. It shows up everywhere from schools to day cares. You usually only hear about it on cruise lines because they are required to report it.......