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Here is how you prepare for this cold and flu season
Here are some ways to prepare for this cold and flu season, since four diseases are currently spreading the country.
An outbreak of norovirus on a Holland America -line cruise disease nearly 120 people.
Among the 2,614 guests on board the Rotterdam -Schip van de Lijn, 107 reported to be sick during the current trip, together with a dozen crew members, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their most important symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea.
According to CruiseMapper, Rotterdam left a 12-day Panama Canal Cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 2 February.
A spokesperson for Holland America said that the “cases were usually mild and quickly resolved.”
“We have initiated improved sanitation protocols in combination with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to minimize further transmission, including continuous disinfection of the ship,” said the spokesperson USA Today in an e -mail statement. The cruise line also insulated sick guests and employees, among other things, the CDC said.
The cases mark the seventh outbreak of gastrointestinal disease on cruises that met the threshold of the health agency for public notification in 2025. Last year there were 18 outbreaks – including Rotterdam in December – most of which were caused by Norovirus.
Outbreaks usually happen more often in winter when the weather is colder, according to the health agency. But although the disease is often associated with cruises, these account for only 1% of all reported outbreaks.
Dr. Dean Winslow, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at Stanford Medicine, told USA Today last month that outbreaks usually take place in congregating environments, especially where people eat and drink. They include cruise ships, universities, nursing homes and “even hospitals,” he said.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Nathan Diller is a travel reporter for consumers for USA Today based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
