Guidance for the Management of Norovirus Infection in Cruise Ships

These guidelines from the Health Protection Agency (now Public Health England), Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and Association of Port Health Authorities, are for health professionals, port health, and other agency staff and the crew of affected vessels for the identification and management of norovirus outbreaks aboard cruise vessels. They form the basis of a standard approach to minimise the impact of the disease being brought aboard a vessel by passengers and crew, particularly during periods of heightened activity of the virus in the UK and other countries where a significant number of passengers are due to join the vessel. This is not a prescriptive document as it is recognised that each individual incident has to be managed according to the circumstances prevailing and the decisions of the outbreak control group will reflect such variations in circumstances.