Seventy passengers on a month-long cruise to Los Angeles were struck down with diarrhea and vomiting after falling ill with norovirus.
The Coral Princess was sailing from Singapore to LA when the outbreak occurred on November 9. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 55 passengers and 15 crew members reported falling ill with the virus, which is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the US.
There were 1,822 passengers and 907 crew members on board the cruise that departed on October 17 and arrived in Long Beach, California on November 17. Stops on the journey included Thailand, Japan and Hawaii.
The $360 million ship’s crew increased cleaning and disinfection procedures and collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing. The Independent has emailed Princess Cruises for comment.
Norovirus has been the most reported illness in cruise outbreaks this year, with eight so far this year. The first was in January, when 123 passengers and 30 crew members became ill out of more than 3,000 people on board.
Another Princess Cruises ship, the Sapphire Princess, reported a norovirus outbreak during a month-long voyage that started in April. Ships that experience outbreaks are required to report them to the CDC.
Royal Caribbean cruises saw three sickness outbreaks on its vessels this year. In those cases, norovirus, salmonella and an unknown agent were responsible for the outbreaks.
A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after exposure. Norovirus can spread by having contact with someone who has it, drinking contaminated liquids or touching contaminated objects or surfaces.
People can continue to be contagious two weeks after they begin to feel better. To prevent the spread of infection, the CDC recommends individuals cook shellfish thoroughly, wash fruits and vegetables and staying home for two days once symptoms stop.
