Norovirus lurks in cruise ship bathrooms

Recent research from a group of researchers from Boston University, Carney Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance and Tufts University School of Medicine suggests that one major contributor to outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis on cruise ships could be the cleanliness, or lack of it, in publicly used toilets.

Around 95% of the gastric epidemics on cruises are reckoned to be caused by Norovirus ant the research claims of the 56 large ships (from nine different cruise lines) investigated between July 2005 and August 2008 – the ones with dirtier public toilets are more likely to have a Norovirus outbreak.

So if this is a worry for you, or if your cruise ship looks less than sparkling, what should you do to protect yourself?

Don’t use public toilets appears to be the most obvious solution, but that’s not always possible, especially on big ships or if you’re travelling with children.

If you must use public toilet spaces:

Carry a little bottle of anti-bacterial gel, and use it when you’ve washed your hands to finish off any lurking bacteria. Take a packet of cheap tissues with you and use them to open the main door to the rest of the ship when you exit – it seems that many of the germs that transfer from hand to hand can be found here, and there’s no point washing your hands if you then touch a germ-ridden handle to leave the bathroom!