Second cruise liner hit by norovirus arrives back in Britain

Updated
Second cruise liner hit by norovirus arrives back in Britain
Second cruise liner hit by norovirus arrives back in Britain

PA

A second P&O cruise liner to be hit by the winter vomiting bug arrived in Southampton yesterday.

At least ten passengers on the Azura fell ill with the norovirus, which causes vomiting, diarrhoea, a high temperature, headache and stomach cramps. Following a deep clean, the luxury liner was scheduled to depart for a 12-night Christmas cruise to the Canaries.

The Sun reports that the ship had taken 3,059 passengers on an 11-night cruise to Spain and Portugal.

In a statement, a P&O spokesperson said: "There has been an incidence of a mild gastrointestinal illness among the passengers on Azura. This illness is suspected to be highly contagious norovirus."

This comes just one day after another P&O liner, the Oriana, was dubbed a 'plague ship', after around 300 passengers were infected with the same bug. When the liner docked in Southampton on Friday, passengers told Sky News that their holiday had been 'a nightmare.'

One passenger, Paul Gilman, said: "It has been outrageous from start to finish.

"People were falling like flies, yet the crew were trying to insist everything was fine.

"Everyone is saying, 'this is a plague ship'. It's a living nightmare."

According to the Health Protection Agency, more than 750,000 people could be affected by the norovirus this winter. Those affected are advised to stay at home, rest, and take lots of fluids. To contain the spread of the virus, anyone with symptoms should call their GP or NHS Direct rather than going to A&E or their local surgery if they need medical treatment.

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