5 illnesses you can get on a cruise ship (besides covid)

“This infection is very contagious,” Lucar says. The virus is also a “hearty” one, Chen points out. It can survive for long periods of time on surfaces and is resistant to common

disinfectants. Close living quarters, shared bathrooms, populated pools, busy buffet lines and rapid turnover of passengers make it difficult to control the spread of the virus once it hits

a ship. “It’s just really the perfect scenario for transmission of highly contagious GI [gastrointestinal] pathogens,” Lucar says. According to the Cruise Lines International Association,

the risk each year of getting laboratory-confirmed norovirus during a ship outbreak is about 1 in 5,500. The association, which says it is the largest cruise industry trade association in

the world, noted on its website that crew members use strict sanitation and cleaning practices created with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program. Cabins are cleaned once a day, and other

common areas, such as elevators and pools, are cleaned multiple times a day. In late February, more than 300 people aboard a Princess Cruises ship fell ill with diarrhea and vomiting,

according to the CDC, though the agency didn’t cite the cause of the illness that sickened the 284 passengers and 34 crew. The _Ruby Princess_ increased disinfection and cleaning procedures

in the wake of the outbreak. Other bugs that have popped up on boats include salmonella and E. coli. One to keep an eye on is shigella, which the CDC notes has been behind GI outbreaks on

cruise ships. This bacterium causes an infection known as shigellosis, which can cause fever, stomach pain and diarrhea that can be bloody or prolonged. Typically, the infection is treated

with antibiotics, Chen says, but the CDC recently issued a warning that antibiotic-resistant strains are circulating in the U.S. Chen isn’t aware of any outbreaks of the resistant varieties

on cruise ships, but it’s something to monitor. _STAYING HEALTHY:_ To avoid getting a GI bug, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water before eating and after going to the bathroom

and coming into contact with high-touch surfaces, like doorknobs and stair railings. Hand sanitizers don’t work well against norovirus, Lucar notes. Travel expert Kwiatkowski also recommends

 drinking plenty of water to keep your body running at its best. However, she advises passengers stay away from the water at ports, particularly if a passenger is vulnerable to

gastrointestinal illnesses. “Handwashing, cleaning your stateroom, watching what you eat and how much you eat, and making sure that you stay hydrated will go a long way in preventing these

illnesses, from you catching them even if they are there,” she says. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about any medications you should pack, such as loperamide (Imodium) to help treat diarrhea

or dimenhydrinate (Dramamine, Gravol) for nausea. If your immune system is compromised, your doctor may want to prescribe something ahead of your trip. 3. MEASLES Although less common than

respiratory and GI illnesses, measles, along with chicken pox and other vaccine-preventable diseases, can circulate on cruise ships. Measles, a highly contagious virus that can linger in the

air even hours after an infected person leaves the room, was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, thanks to a successful vaccine program. But cases still pop up in the States, and

the virus is common in many countries around the world. If an unvaccinated or under-vaccinated passenger or crew member contracts the virus and brings it on board, other vulnerable people

can get sick, Chen explains. (A ship was quarantined off the coast of St. Lucia in 2019 when measles was reported on board.) The same goes for chicken pox (varicella), which is similarly

caused by a highly contagious virus that can circulate among unvaccinated people. _STAYING HEALTHY:_ To avoid these and other vaccine-preventable diseases, make sure you’re up to date on

your routine vaccines before traveling. Two doses of the chicken pox vaccine are more than 90 percent effective at preventing the disease, and two doses of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) are

about 97 percent effective at preventing measles.