United States: Norovirus transmission occurs through contact with contaminated surfaces along with ingesting infected liquids or through consumption of food items carrying the virus. 

The viral transmission occurs through both person-to-person spread and surface contact, which transmits the virus. 

A norovirus outbreak on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 made 183 passengers and 14 crew members sick with vomiting and diarrhea symptoms. 

The CDC reported that 7% of passengers aboard the ship experienced symptoms among the 2,538 people traveling, as reported by Yahoo. 

A Luxury Voyage Takes an Unpleasant Turn 

From England, the Queen Mary 2 embarked on March 8 for a voyage that included stops across New York, Barbados, St. Lucia, and Grenada before the outbreak affected the ship. 

Despite Cunard’s initial statement that a small number of people became sick, the company adopted rigorous cleaning protocols and added health measures to stop additional cases. 

What is Norovirus & How Does It Spread? 

🚨LUXURY CRUISE TURNS TO FLOATING TOILET AS NOROVIRUS SICKENS NEARLY 200

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 set sail for paradise—but nearly 200 passengers and crew got a nightmare instead: a full-blown norovirus outbreak.

The CDC says 183 guests and 14 crew fell ill with vomiting and… pic.twitter.com/zbwJ0HFFfH

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 30, 2025

The United States reports 2,500 annual outbreaks of the highly infectious Norovirus that remains the top reason for vomiting and diarrhea within the country. 

The virus can be transmitted by eating tainted food and via surfaces that pathogens have touched. Moreover, close contact exposure with ill individuals also spreads the virus, businessinsider.com reported. 

The CDC declares that although people sometimes refer to it as a cruise ship, virus outbreaks mainly develop in schools, healthcare facilities, and restaurants. 

Not an Isolated Incident 

This isn’t the only cruise-related health concern. A recent Seabourn Encore voyage saw Norovirus sicken seven passengers and 22 crew members. 

Meanwhile, Cunard’s new Queen Anne ship recently implemented security measures while passing through piracy-prone waters in Southeast Asia, as reported by Yahoo. 

United States: A withdrawal of COVID-19 vaccination funding from the Trump administration triggered the Minneapolis Health Department to announce this decision on Wednesday. 

According to the Minneapolis Health Department, vaccination clinics, together with immunization education, will permanently stop. 

Immunization funding cut 

The funding supported citywide vaccination operations through educational programs and cost-free adult and pediatric clinics with record updates for students at Minneapolis Public Schools. 

The city immediately stopped working with MHealth Fairview Odam Medical Clinic and neighborhood HealthSource through the established contacts. 

Submitted: Part of Minnesota’s federal cuts include $27.5 million from DHS grants.

Temporary Commissioner Shireen Gandhi says “federal COVID dollars were abruptly terminated” and that other states are “facing the same whiplash…” pic.twitter.com/S1NpDTcAFy

— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) March 27, 2025

The city official claims funding shortages require the support of three Health Department employees who work from alternative budget sources until better options are identified. 

What are the officials stating? 

According to Minneapolis Health Commissioner Damón Chaplin, “The impact on our community is substantial. We are canceling five free vaccine clinics scheduled for April, and the future of our vaccine services in underserved communities is uncertain. Decisions at the federal level threaten public health now and in the future,” fox9.com reported. 

Furthermore, “Decisions at the federal level are impacting lives and hurting employees dedicated to making Minneapolis a healthy place to live. Their work on our vaccine program has saved lives and prevented illnesses throughout the city. Eliminating federal support for these positions hurts our community and puts more burden on Minneapolis to deliver our mission to improve the health and well-being of every community member,” the commissioner noted. 

The Minneapolis Health Department worked jointly with community organizations to run 87 vaccine clinics at underserved locations that delivered approximately 800 COVID-19 vaccines, with 700 flu shots and 500 MPOX vaccines. 

The health department organized 21 vaccine clinics, which led to 1,475 vaccinations that benefited 501 patients who received 12 available vaccines for youth, fox9.com reported. 

The Minneapolis Health Department reports that out of all 6-year-old children in the city, only 70% received all their recommended vaccinations in September 2024. 

United States: Experts in Nature Metabolism indicate that consuming sugar substitutes could trigger appetite stimulation, which might result in people eating more than necessary. 

Artificial Sweeteners May Fuel Hunger 

According to senior investigator Dr. Kathleen Page, who leads the University of Southern California Diabetes and Obesity Research Center, the brain reacts strangely because sucralose in Splenda offers sweetness without typical calorie content, as stated in the news release. 

According to Dr. Page, “If your body is expecting a calorie because of the sweetness, but doesn’t get the calorie it’s expecting, that could change the way the brain is primed to crave those substances over time,” US News reported. 

Researchers in background notes revealed that approximately four in ten Americans frequently use artificial sweeteners mainly as a method to lower their sugar consumption. 

“But are these substances actually helpful for regulating body weight?” Page enquired. 

“What happens in the body and brain when we consume them, and do the effects differ from one person to the next?” 

How was the study conducted? 

Investigators watched 75 participants respond using brain imaging following water consumption and the consumption of sucralose-sweetened beverages and regular sugar-sweetened beverages. 

Healthcare personnel obtained MRI brain scans together with blood draws and hunger assessment results from study participants twice following each drink’s ingestion. 

The test participants consumed each drink type one after another. The use of sucralose as a beverage sweetener led to higher hypothalamus brain activity than both neutral water and sugar-sweetened drinks, according to research outcomes. 

The consumption of sucralose enhanced the hypothalamic connections toward brain regions, which control sensory input and motivation functions. 

The results indicate sucralose might possibly affect human cravings or eating reactions, according to Page. 

Sucralose purportedly increased hunger indications after sweet drink consumption yet yielded similar hunger reports as the water did among the participants, according to the study investigators. 

Studies identified that obesity patients exhibited the most intense responses from sucralose consumption among all test groups. 

Testing blood samples demonstrated that drinking sugar elevated both blood sugar quantities and hormone levels such as insulin as well as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which modern weight loss medications replicate, US News reported. 

The consumption of sucralose produced no change in hormone levels based on research findings.