Greece: Seasickness took on a different dimension for passengers on a British cruise ship yesterday as a contagious stomach bug left hundreds reaching for the paper bag.
Choppy waters were the least of anyone's concerns last night as the Aurora left Greek waters and headed for Gibraltar.
More than 430 passengers have fallen ill with norovirus, which causes sickness and diarrhoea, since the P&O cruise ship left Southampton in England for a 17-day Mediterranean voyage on October 20th.
Greek health authorities mounted an emergency operation within minutes of the Aurora mooring off the port of Piraeus early yesterday.
"Four hundred and thirty people on board the Aurora are having severe stomach problems. The liner's owner requested that British doctors be sent with medicines in inflatable boats. Exactly two hours later the boat was on its way," Ms Eva Kanaki, a spokeswoman at the merchant marine ministry, confirmed.
She said it was the first time Greece had witnessed an outbreak of norovirus on such a grand scale. The bug is spread through food, water and close contact with infected people.
Ms Kanaki denied that the liner, carrying 1,800 passengers and more than 800 crew, had not been allowed to dock by Greek authorities. "It was at the request of the captain that the Aurora remained moored out at sea," she said.
The ship arrived from Dubrovnik in Croatia, where a health inspector ordered the sick passengers to remain in their cabins.
The noroviruses - commonly known as Norwalk-like viruses - usually appear in places with inadequate sanitation. Report of outbreaks are common in places such as cruise ships, hospitals and schools.
Symptoms usually last no longer than two days, but those infected can remain contagious for up to a week. P&O said controlling the outbreak was the "utmost priority" and ill passengers were being asked to stay in their cabins until they were no longer infectious.
A spokeswoman said the company had put in place comprehensive procedures to sanitise the ship and had reminded passengers to be vigilant about hygiene. The Aurora is due in Gibraltar on Monday as previously scheduled and is due back in Southampton on Wednesday.
Sick passengers were last night being fed in their cabins; the buffet - thought to be the food outlet most at risk for person-to-person transmission - was closed.
"The symptoms are diarrhoea and vomiting. They last just 24 hours and there is a complete recovery," the P&O spokeswoman said, adding that not everyone had been affected at the same time.
Similar viruses have disrupted other cruises.
In October, at least 120 passengers and crew were hit by a stomach bug on a Carnival Cruise Line voyage to Mexico carrying more than 2,000 people.
The previous month, more than 300 of the 1,528 passengers and crew members on the cruise liner Regal Princess were taken ill with a norovirus during an Atlantic crossing.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said last night it was unaware of Irish nationals being among the Aurora passengers. - (Guardian service)