As reports come in from Fort Lauderdale, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that it could be another outbreak of the norovirus (aka, Norwalk virus) has struck on a cruise ship, this time sickening upwards of 200 crew and passengers.  This weeks it’s a Princess Cruise Line’s ship, last week a cruise ship out of Galveston, TX. There are also reports that the Queen Mary 2 was recently impacted.

You can read more about these outbreaks here.

Norwalk virus effects people in different fashions, but in most cases presents itself as a “stomach” flu. Norovirus, the other name for Norwalk virus causes vomiting, diarrhea and other nasty effects on passengers and crews. As with many other viruses, it’s spread through contact with the virus, unwashed hands etc. That is why breakouts occur in tight confined spaces like hospitals, cruise ships, schools and more.

The best way to make sure that an outbreak doesn’t occur is to properly clean and maintain the environment  but also encourage frequent hand washing. Also offer hand sanitizers.

Once the virus is in the environment, clean throughout with a antibacterial cleaner that is EPA registered and labeled for use on norovirus. Additionally clean public areas, HVAC systems and more to prevent further spread of the infection.

A product from BBJ Environmental that kills and cleans norovirus is BBJ MMR-II Disinfectant/Cleaner. It is a hospital grade disinfectant that is used to kill and clean mold, mildew, virus and bacteria on non porous surfaces, including HVAC. You can find out more info on that here.