THE dreaded norovirus, which affects thousands of cruise passengers every year, could soon sink into history.
In the US, an experimental vaccine trial has shown promising results, with researchers reporting it reduced symptoms by 52%.
The tests provide optimism that a vaccine could be developed for the highly contagious illness, known as the “cruise ship virus”.
Norovirus occurs in many other confined areas, such as schools, childcare centres and hospitals, and can spread through infected food or water, contaminated surfaces and even through the air.
The study doesn’t sound like much fun – 98 volunteers drank water laced with the virus and were then injected with either the vaccine or a placebo.
26 people given the vaccine and 29 people given the placebo were infected.
Ten people in the vaccinated group had mild, moderate or severe vomiting and/or diarrhoea compared with 20 in the non-vaccinated group.
Currently there is no treatment or cure for the virus, the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in children and adults.
