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E L L I O T T' S TRAVEL NOTES
Travel news, opinion and analysis

April 29, 2004

Viral Illnesses Keep Plaguing Cruises
The viral illness that has dogged cruise passengers since 2002 shows no sign of declining this year, disease control experts said at a Fort Lauderdale conference on Tuesday. Through mid-April, 11 ships have reported gastrointestinal outbreaks and seven were confirmed as caused by viruses. The most recent outbreak was on the Holland America Line ship Amsterdam, which arrived in San Diego on April 17 with 75 passengers and 11 of the crew reporting symptoms, primarily diarrhea. Viruses, particularly strains of the Norovirus, caused a sharp upswing in illness on passenger ships starting in 2002 when there were 13 outbreaks and continuing last year when 18 were reported to the Centers for Disease Control. "The way it's unfolding we're looking at the same high numbers" this year, CDC specialist Dr. Elaine Cramer said Tuesday. Sun-Sentinel | Posted 7 a.m.
-- Herald: Virus stalks Las Vegas
-- Katu: Norwalk virus heads for land in Oregon

• As someone who has suffered from Norwalk, let me tell you it's extremely unpleasant. I happened to get my case while I was at Heathrow Airport last fall. It was followed by a full day of agony. Send us your comments.

Don't Wait Until Last Minute For Car
Waiting until the last minute to book your rental car will cost you more this summer. Demand for rental cars -- and travel in general -- is picking up, which means that a tighter supply of cars will drive up prices even further. Already, daily rates for cars rented at airports, which typically account for 60 percent of all rentals, have been about $4 to $5 more than a year ago for midsize cars, according to Abrams Travel Data Service, a car-rental market research firm based in Long Beach. According to a Travelocity.com study last year, the average car renter pays an additional 24.4 percent when they rent a car at a major U.S. airport. Dow Jones | Posted 7:10 a.m.

Flying? Beware of Deadly DVT
Sitting in that cramped airline seat for a long international flight could be more than just uncomfortable. Those conditions, combined with the lower oxygen levels and dehydration common to airline travel could cause a serious condition called deep vein thrombosis. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep-lying vein, usually in the legs. It affects up to 600,000 Americans per year. The danger of DVT is that a piece of the blood clot can break off and travel to the lungs, causing a sometimes-fatal condition called pulmonary embolism. About 10 percent of people who develop pulmonary embolism die from it. “Air travel may be associated with heightened potential for developing deep venous thrombosis. When we travel in an airplane, we’re often sitting in a very cramped position for long periods of time,” says Thomas Wakefield, M.D., a vascular surgeon at the University of Michigan Health System. Medical News Today | Posted 7:25 a.m.
-- Observer: Firm takes DVT case against British Airways

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• And finally ... are you involved in the test of the new "trusted traveler" program. If so, let me know what you think. Send me an e-mail. Posted 7:30 a.m. | Send us your comments.

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