Norovirus: Symptoms and Prevention of ‘Stomach Flu’
When cases of norovirus increase, these are symptoms to look out for and steps you can take for prevention.
Seventy people aboard a Princess Cruises ship fell ill during a norovirus outbreak.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 55 of the 1,822 passengers who sailed aboard the Coral Princess, along with 15 crew members, reported being sick during the current voyage. Their main symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea.
According to CruiseMapper, the ship is currently operating a month-long cruise from Singapore to Los Angeles, California. The route started on October 17.
Princess implemented, among other things, increased “cleaning and disinfection procedures per their outbreak prevention and response plan,” the health department said. The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program is monitoring the outbreak remotely.
The cruise line did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
The CDC has recorded 11 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships so far this year that met the public notification threshold. Norovirus was listed as the causative agent in all but three cases.
Although the disease is often linked to cruises, these account for only 1% of all reported outbreaks.
“There is nothing special or unique about cruise ships,” Dr. Sarah E. Hochman, a hospital epidemiologist and division chief of infectious diseases at NYU Langone Health’s Tisch Hospital, told USA TODAY in April. “It is actually any form of gathering, but it also happens on a much smaller scale in the community, among households and family contacts. It just doesn’t come to public health attention as often as it does with larger gatherings.”
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.