A warning has been issued about a new strain of a highly contagious virus which is sweeping through cruise ships.
So far this year, there have been 13 cases of gastrointestinal illness outbreaks, and ten of these have been attributed to norovirus.
This means the number is on the path to going beyond the total number of cases recorded last year of 18.
In February, Brits were warned of a surge of the vomiting bug, which kills up to 80 people in the UK every year.
Figures showed levels were more than two-and-a-half times higher than those of the same time last year.
Numbers continue to be higher than the annual average compared to pre-pandemic levels, which is leaving experts wondering what might be behind.
The American Centre for Disease Control (CDC) now believe there may be a new strain of the virus which allows it to spread quicker.
A CDC spokesperson told USA Today: ‘While the number of recent cruise ship outbreaks has been higher than in years prior to the pandemic, we do not yet know if this represents a new trend.
‘However, CDC data show a newly dominant strain is currently associated with reported norovirus outbreaks on land. Ships typically follow the pattern of land-based outbreaks, which are higher this norovirus season.’
Norovirus spreads rapidly on cruise ships due to a mix of environmental conditions and the nature of human interaction in such settings.
As they tend to be closed environments with large numbers of people, it becomes easy for the virus to pass from person to person.
Shared facilities like dining areas, bathrooms, pools, and railings are high-touch surfaces that can become contaminated and serve as transmission points.
Compounding this is the fact that norovirus is extremely contagious and can survive on surfaces for days, even resisting many common disinfectants.
The virus often spreads before symptoms appear, allowing infected individuals to unknowingly contaminate areas or interact with others.
The majority of people do not need to speak to a doctor about the infection. In most cases, it will clear up on its own.
But for those who are more vulnerable — typically the elderly, young and immunocompromised — it could lead to serious dehydration, resulting in hospitalisation.
Early signs of dehydration can include a dry mouth and throat, dizziness, fatigue, peeing less than usual and having sunken eyes.
For those who are vulnerable, dehydration can quickly turn deadly — as it impacts the delicate balance of salts in the blood that keep the organs functioning.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director, previously said: ‘To help stop the spread of norovirus, the medical advice is to wash your hands frequently with soap and water and avoid mixing with other people until you have not had symptoms for two days.
‘While pressures on hospitals remains incredibly high, people should continue to use NHS services in the normal way — using 111 and 111 online if you need advice and support for health conditions, and only using 999 or attending A&E in life-threatening emergencies.’