The norovirus has struck again. At least 82 people fell ill while on a Princess Cruises ship after a stomach bug outbreak on the ship. It's only the most recent example of the virus striking at sea. So far, there have been nine outbreaks of the virus on cruise ships this year.
The Princess Cruises ship was traveling from California to Florida on a three-week journey when passengers began to fall sick. There were 1,906 passengers on board the Coral Princess ship. Of that number, 69 passengers fell ill with the stomach bug, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Meanwhile, 13 crew members of the 895 on board also caught the stomach bug as well.
It's the second time that the norovirus has struck the Coral Princess. Back in January, several people also fell ill on the ship as well. Hopefully, there won't be a third.
Princess Cruises Outbreak
The CDC shared what the crew did on the Princess Cruises ship.
- "Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan
- Collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing
- Isolated ill passengers and crew
- Consulted with VSP about sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases"
According to the organization, quick reporting is important when it comes to the norovirus.
The organization writes, "Gastrointestinal (GI) illness is a commonly used term for acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Reporting gastrointestinal illness is important. When passengers and crew tell the medical center onboard about their symptoms, it helps GI illness outbreaks get detected quickly. This allows steps to be taken to limit the spread of illness."
The incident happened on February 21. The cruise ship was headed from Los Angeles to Florida. The measures by the crew helped to slow the spread of the outbreak. But it's worth noting that the ship stopped in Mexico, Costa Rica, Aruba and the Panama Canal. Following the outbreak, Princess Cruises reported it to the CDC on March 7.
Norovirus is typically linked to cruise ships. Having that many people together in one place makes it the perfect breeding ground for viruses. Sanitation is important to stop the spread of the virus.
