JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The director of a popular visitor center in Juneau says more advance notice of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships coming to the port is needed to protect workers.
Kim McDowell with the Bartlett Regional Hospital told KTOO-FM that she first learned about an infected Holland America ship on social media before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report about the outbreak on its website.
The CDC reported a separate norovirus outbreak on the Seven Seas Mariner five days after the cruise ship left Juneau.
Norovirus is highly contagious and can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress.
Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Director John Neary says he would like cruise ship agents to communicate directly with his office so he can better protect his staff.
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Information from: KTOO-FM, http://www.ktoo.org
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