The uninhabited Scottish island of Little Cumbrae (also known as Wee Cumbrae) has now become the Peace Island (Shanti Dwipam in Sanskrit) of Patanjali Yog Peeth (UK) Trust (PYPT).

Some interesting features of Little Cumbrae, the Peace Island are:

• PYPT aims to make Wee Cumbrae accessible for everyone as a worldwide destination for the whole family, to experience the rejuvenating and healing powers of Yog Pranayam and Ayurved.
• Has an area of 277 hectares (684 acres) and has a length of approximately 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometres) and 0.9 miles (1.5 kilometres) at its widest point.
• Nearly thousand people joined the ‘Hawan’ celebrations on September 27 led by Baba Ramdev, co-founder of PYPT.
• Sam and Sunita Poddar, Scottish couple of Indian origin have purchased the island for £2 million and have pledged the use of the island to the PYPT to establish the first five star Pranayam Yog and Ayurved medicine retreat outside India.
• Sunita Poddar is the international coordinator and a trustee of PYPT, UK.

View a slideshow of Little Cumbrae Island – Scotland from Private Islands Inline.

View some video clips:

• Largs and Millport News … Video of Swami Ramdev press conference on Wee Cumbrae.
• Yoga Followers Invade Wee Scottish Island

Read more from

• Sky News: One Thousand Yoga Fans Flock To Peace Island
• The Telegraph, Calcutta (Kolkata): On a Scottish island bought as a gift for birthday, a yoga initiative begins

For more details, log on to Patanjali Yog Peeth (UK) Trust.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

Seafarers: Charge Your Cell Phones with Solar Necktie

Deployment of USS Dubuque (LPD 8), an amphibious transport dock ship is postponed as a crew member onboard has a confirmed case of H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu). 50 more crew members are also presenting flu-like symptoms.

As a precautionary measure, the vessel’s deployment as part of Pacific Partnership voyage to provide Humanitarian Civic Assistance is cancelled.

Read more from Pacific Fleet Commander’s blog.

View video clip from The Pentagon Channel Report: Flu Outbreak On Ship

Here is the photograph of USS Dubuque from U.S Navy.

Read more

• USS Dubuque
• H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You

View an interesting graphics on H1N1 Flu from RIA Novosti – Infographics.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

Intelligent Talking First Aid Kit Now Available for Use in Ships

Last week, four crew members of Korean ship MV Bright Star died onboard due to stomach ache, diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. This happened when the vessel was near the coast of South India. The vessel had total 20 member crew and the remaining crew also became sick. Indian Coast Guard immediately assisted the ship’s crew. Preliminary investigations suggest a case of extreme food poisoning.

The sequence of events are:

• The vessel carrying animal fodder sailed out from Kandla port in Gujarat on February 09. The vessel was bound for Singapore.
• The crew after consuming tinned meat and fish on the night of February 10 developed stomach ache, diarrhea and vomiting.
• Due to extreme food poisoning, four crew members one after the other died onboard on February 11. The dead crew are:
  • Jophil Pin, age 22 and Goseong Gaan, age 19 from South Korea.
  • Saw Myohtut, age 32 and Saw David, age 29 from Myanmar.
• As the remaining crew also started falling sick, the vessel contacted Korean Coast Guard for help.
• Korean Coast Guard further contacted Indian Coast Guard for necessary assistance.
• On February 13 morning, Offshore Patrol Vessel “Vikram” and Inshore Patrol Vessel “Ahalya Bai” of Coast Guard with a medical team approached MV Bright Star to assist and found the vessel afloat near Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin).
• The Coast Guard found four sailors dead on board the ship and all the remaining were severely ill. The condition of the Captain, Kim Kio, 40, of Korea and another crew member, Minsin Chai, 28, was very critical.
• All the crew members were then taken to Nagercoil for treatment.
• Arrangements are being made to hand over the dead crew to clearing and forwarding agents of Kochi.

The vessel is operated by Bright Shipping Co., Ltd.

The above photograph is by U.Nagarajan and read more from The Times of India and Express Buzz.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

India Prepares to Launch Submarine Launched Missile

Incidents of food poisoning in ships are not a surprise. Recently on January 08, at least 340 passengers of MSC Sinfonia, docked in Salvador, Bahia suffered severe vomiting and diarrhea. It was reported that an inspection found problems with the amount of chlorine in the ship’s drinking water and with the storage of some perishable food items, notably mayonnaise.

Ensuring food safety onboard is a team effort and here are some tips to avoid food poisoning in ships:

Storing

• Check goods before taking onboard
  • Source of supply: to be from approved vendors/brands
  • Check for expiry date
  • Do not accept damaged or open packages
  • Inspect frozen goods: to be in hard frozen state
  • Store frozen and chilled goods first
  • Do not store rotten vegetables and fruits
  • Follow FIFO (First In First Out) for using
  • Cold/Cool rooms: Check temperatures regularly and report problems if any
  • Cold/Cool rooms: Check indication lights are working and door seals on closure
  • Cold/Cool rooms: Check internal safety alarms, opening mechanisms operation
  • Use protective clothing to enter cold rooms and freezers
  • Carry goods safely

Food Handling

• Galley
  • Food contact areas to be kept clean, use right detergents
  • Keep work tops and cooking utensils clean and disinfected
  • Disinfect raw meat,fish cutting boards after use
  • Keep clean: Deck, bulk head, ventilation ducts
  • Secure cleaning gear in the right place after use
  • Follow housekeeping
• Personal hygiene of Food Handlers
  • Wash your hands with soap in hot running water before you handle food
  • Dry your hands in single use towels or air dryer
  • Trim your nails
  • Be medically fit
  • Wash your hands again after you handle raw meat,poultry,fish
• Water quality
  • Polluted or contaminated water may taste same, but if used causes sickness
  • Boil water before you use
  • Regularly flush taps that are not in constant use
  • Maintain a log
• Storing prepared food
  • Store at temperature 8 degree Celsius or less, or 63 or higher
  • Do not expose food items for more than two hours in 8 to 63 degree Celsius
  • Ensure food storing place is free from rats and other insects

Personal Hygiene

• Wash your hands
  • before you eat
  • after you eat, drink, smoke
  • after using rest room
  • after blowing your nose
• Do not eat if you find your food abnormal in terms of taste, smell, color or if there is dirt or foreign objects
• Before you sip directly bottled drinks or cans, wash the bottles or cans

Here are some interesting video clips on Basic Food Safety and Foodborne Illnesses

• Part 1 of 6: Introduction to Safe Food Handling
• Part 2 of 6: Holding Time and Temperatures
• Part 3 of 6: Poor Personal Hygiene
• Part 4 of 6: Inadequate Cooking and Contaminated Equipment
• Part 5 of 6: Adulterated Food
• Part 6 of 6: Review

Read more on Food Safety from Kansas Department of Health and Environment as pdf.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

Chennai Marina Beach to Get Floating Fountains

When a seafarer falls sick at sea or when there is medical emergency, timely medical treatment is necessary. On many occasions medevac (medical evacuation) is unavoidable. Till medevac takes place, correct medical diagnosis has to be done and right treatment has to be provided to the patient. This requires

• Assessment of the medical emergency by interacting with the patient and Stabilization of the patient.
• Where necessary, online medical advice has to be taken from ashore for the right diagnosis, treatment.
• Necessary medical supplies have to be maintained onboard.
• Again where necessary, after medical advice has to be taken from ashore.

All the above activities have to go on, in the shortest possible time. To achieve this, the Ocean Medical International (OMI) provides Medical Kits and Medical Training for ship’s crew.

OMI medical system comes with

• OMI Assessment and Stabilization Guide.
• Necessary medical supplies depending on the type of vessel.

OMI Medical database is now available on E-cell USB storage device instead of the CD-ROM medical database. The USB device has several additional features.

• In addition to OMI medical kit database, there is a 6-person field medical info section whereby each individual crew member’s medical history and info can be added; Items such as, emergency contact info, blood type, allergies, & medical history etc.
• The device is compact and waterproof with an o-ring seal cap.
• There is an option to store vital documents info, such as passport, drivers licence & credit card details etc, in password secure section. The medical database info remains the same.

The E- Cell demo is available here as pdf version.

For more details, log on to Ocean Medical International.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

City of Sunderland Refloats While Ice Prince Sinks

Seafarers can not perform if they are depressed. WebMD has listed the physical symptoms of depression.

Do you have ?

• Headaches
• Back pain
• Muscle aches and joint pain
• Chest pain
• Digestive problems
• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Sleeping problems
• Change in appetite or weight
• Dizziness or lightheadedness

If you have any one or more symptoms of the above, it is better to get treated.

For more information on depression, log on to WebMD.

Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:

Research Vessel Polarstern on 24th Scientific Voyage to Antarctica

This weekend alert is about Dry Drowning. Drowning is immersion in water or fluid that cuts off air supply to lungs in the body. Due to lack of oxygen in the body, drowning causes death. This drowning can also be called as wet drowning.

Here is something different. Death can be due to Dry Drowning also.

What is Dry Drowning ?

• causes death due to lack of oxygen but not immediate death like drowning
• death caused due to a delayed effect of a small quantity of water inside the lungs
• this can happen even after 1 hour to 24 hours after coming out of swimming pool
• about 15 percent of drowning victims have experienced dry drowning
• persons suffering from asthma may also be at risk of dry drowning
• water boarding can also cause dry drowning
• prolonged breathing in any gas other than oxygen that does not cause death on its own (like working in confined spaces where there is lack of oxygen)

Symptoms of Dry Drowning:

• difficulty in breathing
• shorter breath
• continuous coughing
• extreme tiredness
• pain in chest
• changes in behavior or attitude

Whenever you find someone with the above symptoms, immediately seek medical attention to avoid death.

Here is a video clip that you must see to know more about Dry Drowning.

Here are some related posts:

• Waterboarding: Is it like swimming or a type of torture ?
• 10 Reasons: Why learning swimming is necessary
• Hot Russians go for ice swimming

Here is weekend alert to water sports enthusiasts. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report dated May 30, from Centers for Disease Controls (CDC) gives a warning note to water sports enthusiasts. Six cases of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) were reported to CDC in the United States during June to September in the year 2007. All six patients unfortunately died.

What was the reason for these deaths ?

All the six from Arizona (1), Florida (3), and Texas (2) were the victims of brain infecting ameba called Naegleria fowleri or N. fowleri. All the victims were found to be recreational water sports enthusiasts in swimming, wakeboarding, diving.

Here are alarming features of Naegleria fowleri:

• Naegleria is an ameba that thrives in warm freshwater and soil. Naegleria fowleri which belongs to this species of Naegleria, infects people.
• it causes a very rare but severe brain infection that causes death.
• while in water, the ameba enters through the nose to reach the brain and spinal cord to cause infection.
• initial symptoms found within 14 days of infection: headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and stiff neck.
• later symptoms: confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance, seizures, and hallucinations.
• causes death within 3 to 7 days after the start of symptoms.

As Naegleria fowleri is found only in warm freshwater, water sports enthusiasts in lakes, swimming pools, rivers have to be careful. As sea water is not having this ameba, water sports in beaches are safe.

Here are the precautionary measures to be taken to avoid Naegleria fowleri infection:

• keep your nose water tight or use nose clips while sporting in bodies of warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, or hot springs.
• do not dig in or stir up the sediment if you are in shallow, warm freshwater bodies.

The foolproof way to avoid this infection is to refrain from water related activities

• in bodies of warm freshwater, hot springs.
• thermally polluted water such as water around power plants.
• during periods of high water temperature and low water levels.

If you want to know more about Naegleria Infection, here is the fact sheet.

Here is the full report of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report dated May 30 from CDC.

Here is an interesting video clip of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM).

Yoga synchronizes body, mind and soul. Baba Ramdev is planning to conduct Yoga at Sea for a week. The program is organized by Patanjali Yogpeeth, Hardwar of Baba Ramdev and Vishwa Jagriti Mission Trust, Kolkata. The interesting features of Yoga at Sea are:

• to be conducted from May 31 to June 07, 2008
• to be conducted on cruise liner SuperStar Virgo of Star Cruises
• about 1000 yoga learners have already enrolled
• tour costs vary from Rupees 1,40,000 to 58,900 for an adult and Rupees 32,000 to 14,500 for an infant

Here is the route map and the ship

Here are video clips of SuperStar Virgo and Baba Ramdev.

More information about Yoga at Sea are available here.

Update: June 06

Here is onboard news report from thaindian.

The Intelligent First Aid Talking Kit is now available. The interesting features of this kit are:

• designed by medical and educational experts
• combines supplies, visual instruction cards
• has an audio module for verbal guidance to manage the most common injuries
• the kit is separated into individually labeled and color-coded injury packs so the user has all the supplies
• has easy to follow instructions for managing a specific injury
• on pressing a button, the audio module in each injury card narrates step-by-step instructions to manage the injury, pausing and repeating when necessary for accurate response
• the case includes a guidebook, with first aid instructions for additional medical emergencies, such as choking, frost bite, heatstroke, asthma
• also included is a product manual with audio instructions
• a book light/flashlight and a shoulder strap

Here is an audio sample from the bleeding pack of the Intelligent First Aid Talking Kit.

Click the icon to listen.

This Intelligent First Aid Talking Kit will be very useful in the ships where timely First Aid is very important.

More details are here at intelligentfirstaid.

BBC reports fatigue among seafarers as a reason for accidents and near misses at sea. DNV study says 51% of marine accidents are caused by only 25% of all the ships worldwide. One of the reasons for these accidents is fatigue experienced by seafarers.

What is fatigue ?

Fatigue is experienced by us as physical fatigue and mental fatigue. Early stages of fatigue lead to loss of productivity whereas advanced stages of fatigue lead to accidents within the ship or cause groundings, collisions even to the extent of sinking of ships.

Signs of a seafarer suffering from fatigue.

• looking dull with frequent yawns
• half closed eyes
• loss of concentration in work
• unable to listen, understand and act
• non synchronization of body and mind

What causes fatigue to seafarers ?

• insufficient sleep or disturbed sleep
  • not getting time to sleep
  • often called up from sleep to attend emergencies
  • due to health disorder
• external factors like noise, vibration, heat, inadequate ventilation, poor living conditions in the ship
• physical and mental stress due to high job demand
• prolonged deployment at sea
• adverse weather conditions, seasickness
• prolonged working everyday for more than 12 hours a day

Why is it necessary to overcome fatigue ?

Prolonged fatigue leads to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) where treatment and recovery is complex. Here is a video clip about CFS.

How to eliminate fatigue of seafarers ?

Let us first analyze marine accidents some more in details.

• ships in which most of the accidents take place are more than 15 years old
  • because of unreliable machinery there are more machinery failure. Seafarers in these ships have to work more to keep the ships seagoing that causes fatigue in seafarers.
  • because of poor living conditions seafarers are subjected to fatigue.
• most of the accidents taking place are in the ships owned by small shipping companies
  • small shipping companies want to maximize their profits by reducing expenses by means of placing less seafarers in poorly maintained ships. The seafarers are subjected to fatigue in these ships.
• most of the accidents are caused by human error
  • mostly due to fatigue of seafarers

Now it is clear that the onus of removing fatigue from the seafarers lies with shipping companies and ship owners. They must phase out old ships and follow proactive safety policy in ships.

Seafarers if they have to overcome fatigue,

• have to select the right shipping company
• have to select right ships
• change their lifestyle to face both physical and mental fatigue by means of physical exercises, meditation, yoga etc.,

Is there any other way ? What are your views ?

Gamucci electronic cigarette is now available for smoking seafarers.

The electronic cigarette has

• a replaceable cartridge which comes in different flavors like tobacco,chocolate,apple,cherry,mint
• atomization chamber
• electronic smart chip
• built in rechargeable battery
• an operating indicator at the cigarette tip

The advantages of smoking electronic cigarette are

• can be used in no smoking zones also
• has no health hazard like cancer
• is available in different flavors
• has a rechargeable battery
• is environment friendly
• is non flammable
• is cost effective
• is stylish

Update: May 26

Here is another electronic cigarette from supersmoker ultimo.

Update: September 25

World Health Organization (WHO) says that the electronic cigarette is not a proven nicotine replacement therapy. If the marketers of the electronic cigarette want to help smokers quit, then they need to conduct clinical studies and toxicity analyses and operate within the proper regulatory framework. Read more from WHO.

Here is a video clip of Gamucci electronic cigarette.

Total Fitness is nothing but Physical and Mental Fitness. In this fast moving world, work related stress is increasing day by day. One has to overcome work related stress to increase productivity. Your success depends on your total fitness of your mind and your body.

Now, are you looking for

• total fitness of your mind and your body
• fun and relaxation
• improved cardiovascular health
• relief from arthritis
• control on your diabetes
• a peaceful sleep
• control on your body weight
• relief from back pain
• relief from depression

Well, all these above can be achieved through Aquatic Fitness Systems (AFS). In the Aquatic Fitness Systems you can do any thing you feel like; you can walk, run, jog, swim, row.

Aquatic Fitness Systems depending on their model are equipped to provide

• high volume swim jets and sprays
• non skid surfaces
• in built water filtration and purification arrangements
• warm massage and hydrotherapy

Here are some photographs of AFS

Click here to view a video clip of Aquatic Fitness Systems.

An article in the Japanese Journal of Marine Medicine reports about a survey conducted on the life-style of fishermen in relation to smoking habits and drinking habits. The survey found that

• about 60% of seamen in passenger ship have regular drinking tendencies and 56.8% smoke.
• Rating members under age 44 smoke more heavily than other age groups.
• males had a higher tendency to be smokers.

Another report finds that Danish seafarers, especially men, face an increased overall cancer risk, in particular a risk for lung cancer and other tobacco associated cancers. One more report confirms that female seafarers adopt the high risk lifestyle of male seafarers.

This post brings out the reasons Why Seafarers become Smokers and Alcoholics ? This post in no way justifies smoking and drinking.

1.Relieves stress

The job of a seafarer is tough and as a means of relieving stress, prefers to smoke and drink.

2.Increases concentration

To remain safe at sea, a seafarer has to concentrate at his work and he believes smoking increases his concentration in his work.

3.Helps to remain awake during night watches

Smoking helps to remain awake. Here are some tips to stay alert on watch.

4.Overcomes loneliness

A seafarer most of the time remain away from his family. Seafarer smokes and drinks to overcome loneliness.

5.Keeps you warm

At sea during winter, smoking and drinking help to remain warm.

6.Projects a macho image

Seafarer thinks smoking and drinking gives strength,confidence and boldness.

7.Helps to remain active

Seafarer finds smoking and drinking act as stimulus to remain active.

8.Helps to mix up in society

Seafarer considers smoking and drinking help to mix up in the society.

9.Helps to remain as a good team mate

Only team work makes a successful seafarer. Smoking and drinking help to remove any barriers within the team.

10.Happy living

By and large, seafarer remains happy by smoking and drinking.

The above reasons do not justify smoking and drinking.

Warning: Smoking and drinking is injurious to health.

Click here to know 10 good reasons to stop smoking.

Click here to know how to stop drinking.

Virus in Cruise ships. What is the relevance? Well. wikipedia lists the following as cases of Noroviruses or Norwalk disease on Cruise Ships so far occurred this year.

• In January 2007, several cases were discovered aboard the cruise-liner Queen Elizabeth 2 of Cunard Line in what the Center for Disease Control (CDC) called an “unusually large outbreak.” Seventeen percent (276 out of 1,652) of the passengers on board reportedly fell ill. 28 crew members were also ill.
• On its 1 April 2007 voyage, the Princess Cruises ship Caribbean Princess had at least 79 passenger and 4 crew member cases of norovirus, or Norwalk disease.
• In late May 2007, nearly 200 passengers and 10 crew members aboard Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Liberty of the Seas, contracted Norovirus.
• In late August 2007, in excess of 500 passengers and unknown number of crew members contracted Norovirus aboard the Celebrity Cruises cruise ship Millennium, sailing between Barcelona and Venice (Aug. 17-29, 2007). Outbreak happened before the end of 12-day cruise, mostly older people fell ill, unknown, but considerable number of them were hospitalized in ship’s hospital and after disembarkation around 10 of those patients/passengers were sent home (mostly to the U.S.) on stretchers. Italian ambulances were delivering them to Marco Polo Airport in droves.

1.What is Norovirus or Norwalk disease?

Center for Disease Control (CDC) gives the following facts.

• Noroviruses (genus Norovirus, family Caliciviridae) are a group of related, single-stranded RNA, nonenveloped viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans. Also described as “Norwalk-like viruses” (NLV),this group of viruses has also been referred to as caliciviruses (because of their virus family name). Noroviruses are named after the original strain “Norwalk virus,” which caused an outbreak of gastroenteritis in a school in Norwalk, Ohio, in 1968.
• The incubation period for norovirus-associated gastroenteritis in humans is usually between 24 and 48 hours (median in outbreaks 33 to 36 hours), but cases can occur within 12 hours of exposure. Norovirus infection usually presents as acute-onset vomiting, watery non-bloody diarrhea with abdominal cramps, and nausea. Low-grade fever also occasionally occurs, and vomiting is more common in children. Dehydration is the most common complication, especially among the young and elderly, and may require medical attention. Symptoms usually last 24 to 60 hours. Recovery is usually complete and there is no evidence of any serious long-term sequelae. Studies with volunteers given stool filtrates have shown that asymptomatic infection may occur in as many as 30% of infections, although the role of asymptomatic infection in norovirus transmission is not well understood.
• Noroviruses are transmitted primarily through the fecal-oral route, either by consumption of fecally contaminated food or water or by direct person-to-person spread. Environmental and fomite contamination may also act as a source of infection. Good evidence exists for transmission due to aerosolization of vomitus that presumably results in droplets contaminating surfaces or entering the oral mucosa and being swallowed. No evidence suggests that infection occurs through the respiratory system.
• Noroviruses are highly contagious and as few as 10 viral particles may be sufficient to infect an individual. During outbreaks of norovirus gastroenteritis, several modes of transmission have been documented; for example, initial foodborne transmission in a restaurant, followed by secondary person-to-person transmission to household contacts. Although presymptomatic viral shedding may occur, shedding usually begins with onset of symptoms and may continue for 2 weeks after recovery. It is unclear to what extent viral shedding over 72 hours after recovery signifies continued infectivity.
• Mechanisms of immunity to norovirus are unclear. It appears that immunity may be strain-specific and lasts only a few months; therefore, given the genetic variability of noroviruses, individuals are likely to be repeatedly infected throughout their lifetimes. This may explain the high attack rates in all ages reported in outbreaks. Recent evidence also suggests that susceptibility to infection may be genetically determined, with people of blood group O being at greatest risk for severe infection.
• Most foodborne outbreaks of norovirus illness are likely to arise though direct contamination of food by a food handler immediately before its consumption. Outbreaks have frequently been associated with consumption of cold foods, including various salads, sandwiches, and bakery products. Liquid items (e.g., salad dressing or cake icing) that allow virus to mix evenly are often implicated as a cause of outbreaks. Food can also be contaminated at its source, and oysters from contaminated waters have been associated with widespread outbreaks of gastroenteritis. Other foods, including raspberries and salads, have been contaminated before widespread distribution and subsequently caused extensive outbreaks.
• Waterborne outbreaks of norovirus disease in community settings have often been caused by sewage contamination in water.

2.How to battle Noroviruses on Cruise Ships?

An interesting article in webmd throws some light on this.

• In the semi-confined quarters of a cruise ship, contagious illnesses can spread fast, particularly noroviruses. These viruses cause what many call the “stomach flu.” Typical symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping last for one to two days.
• Noroviruses flourish in the winter, but also year round.
• Since 2001, more outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness have been reported. The reasons? More passengers, more ships and an average cruise length of seven days — ample time for people to mingle and come in contact with infectious germs. However, the risk of gastrointestinal illness is still small: less than 1% during an average week-long cruise.
• Passengers can fall ill if they touch objects or surfaces contaminated with norovirus (doorknobs, railings, elevator buttons, or counters) and then place their hand in their mouth.
• People can also be infected if they have direct contact with a sick person or consume food or drink that is contaminated with norovirus.
• If an ill person vomits or has diarrhea in a whirlpool bath or swimming pool, others who come in contact with the water can be infected, too.
• Some tips to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal illness on a cruise ship:
  • Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before eating or smoking. Also wash hands after using the restroom, returning to your cabin, changing a diaper, helping a sick person, or touching surfaces that a lot of other passengers have touched, such as doorknobs and railings.
  • After you’ve washed your hands in a restroom, dry your hands with a paper towel and use the towel to turn off the faucet and open the door.
  • Washing with warm water and soap is best, but if you can’t do so during an excursion, use an alcohol-based gel hand sanitizer that contains 62% ethanol.
  • Notify cruise staff about sick passengers.

OldSailor remembers the old saying “Prevention is better than cure”.

Update: June 07, 2008

Norovirus attacks cruise ship Ventura. 20 passengers affected. Read more from Telegraph.

Update: July 07, 2009

Two hundred passengers of Marco Polo cruise liner are showing symptoms of Noro Virus, off the coast of Scotland. Read more from Guardian.

View a video clip from ITN News: Ship passengers in hospital following vomiting bug scare

This post is to make you aware about seasickness and how to prevent it. Seasickness is one form of motion sickness which a person experiences while traveling in automobiles, aero plane and ship. I am going to highlight more about seasickness.

A ship at sea experiences three degrees of movement in X, Y and Z axis called Roll, Pitch and Yaw due to wind and waves mostly during inclement weather. When our body is subjected to this combination of these three movements, we feel seasickness which is a very uneasy feeling, generally dizziness and nausea. Ships crew slowly adapts to this feeling. Severe seasickness may not even permit you to do your day to day activities.

Seasickness is felt due to conflict of senses of our body. When our body experiences combination of roll, pitch and yaw movements in the ship, the fluid filled canal in our inner ear that controls sense of balance of our body informs our brain that our body is moving. On the contrary, our eyes inform our brain that our body is stationary. This conflict of senses can cause our body to go out of balance (causes dizziness), which also affects our digestive system (causes nausea).

The tips to prevent seasickness are:

Before sailing out:

1. Take complete rest or sleep before sailing out.

2. Avoid acidic food, drinks and beverages four to six hours prior to sailing out.

3. Do not be in empty stomach before sailing by skipping your food.

4. Don’t over eat prior to sailing.

5. Drink plenty of water but not alcoholic beverages to avoid dehydration.

6. Have your ears cleaned before long voyage.

7. Be in physically fit condition.

While sailing:

8. Keep away from excessive heat or sunlight to avoid dehydration.

9. Stay away from gasoline and diesel fumes.

10. Don’t remain in enclosed spaces, be in cool,open air.

11. Try to be in the middle or center part of the ship where roll, pitch and yaw are less.

12. Try to keep away from people who have seasickness.

13. Chew small pieces of ginger.

14. Wear acupressure wristband if available

15. Drink Pepsi or Coke.

16. Look at far away objects closer to horizon than objects very closer to you.

17. If you sleep, sleep on your back.

18. Keep your mind occupied than thinking only about seasickness.

19. Keep your head still, against some support.

20. Don’t smoke or don’t be closer to smokers.

21. Avoid reading or watching videos.

22. Apply cold compresses to your eyes and neck.

In case of seasickness:

• Have medicine on doctor’s/physician’s advice.
• If most of the crew feels seasickness, ships course may be altered for some time to minimize ships roll, pitch and yaw movements.