Three cruise ships have been affected by norovirus outbreaks this month, and one ship reported that more than 100 passengers fell ill, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There have been 11 norovirus outbreaks reported on cruise ships this year, but this is the first time the virus has been confirmed on three ships in a single month. Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea in the United States, according to the CDC report. website.
Of the three ships, a Princess Cruises ship reported the highest number of sick passengers, with 103 of 3,001 passengers and 12 of 1,142 crew members falling ill. according to the CDC.
The Ruby Princess ship departed San Francisco for a round trip to Hawaii on December 2 and returned on December 18. The liner responded to the outbreak by increasing disinfection and isolating sick passengers and crew members.
Princess Cruises also collected stool samples for testing and consulted with the CDC’s Ship Sanitation Program on sanitary cleaning procedures, the agency said.
The other two cruise ships affected by norovirus outbreaks this month were Rotterdam and Zuiderdam, both of the Holland America cruise ship.
The CDC fixed that 83 of the 2,192 passengers aboard the Rotterdam ship fell ill. She departed Fort Lauderdale on December 8 and returned on December 20. Twelve members of the 953 crew also became ill.
On the Zuiderdam ship that set sail on December 4, 87 passengers out of some 1,923 guests reported being sick. The CDC fixed that four of the 757 crew members also fell ill.
The Holland America liner isolated sick passengers and crew members and stepped up cleaning and disinfection procedures as part of measures to contain the outbreak. It also collected stool samples from cases of gastrointestinal illnesses for testing, according to the CDC.
The Epoch Times reached out to both Princess Cruises and Holland America for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that can be transmitted through direct contact with infected people or contaminated food and objects. according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).
The virus causes between 19 and 21 million cases of vomiting and diarrhea each year in the United States, leading to 109,000 hospitalizations and 900 deaths, primarily among adults age 65 and older, the NFID said.
According to the agency, norovirus is also linked to more than 495,000 emergency department visits, primarily in younger children. The NFID stated that a person can be infected with the virus more than once in their lifetime and that symptoms usually appear suddenly.
Norovirus outbreaks typically occur in healthcare facilities, long-term care facilities, restaurants, daycares, schools, and cruise ships. In addition to vomiting and diarrhea, infected people may experience symptoms such as stomach cramps and nausea.
“People infected with norovirus are contagious from the time they start to feel sick until at least 3 days after they recover. Some people may be contagious for up to 2 weeks after recovery,” the NFID stated.
The NFID recommends several measures to prevent the spread of norovirus, including washing hands with soap before handling food, washing fruits and vegetables before eating them, and cooking oysters and other shellfish before eating them.
So far in 2024, the CDC has recorded 14 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships, 11 of which were caused by norovirus. One outbreak was caused by salmonella, another by E. coli and one was listed as “unknown,” according to the agency.
Last year, the CDC reported 14 outbreaks on cruise ships, and norovirus was listed as the causative agent in all but one incident.
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
