Just when things appeared to be getting sorted out with the hantavirus-ridden cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a norovirus outbreak on a Caribbean Princess cruise ship has sickened over 100 people.
According to the CDC, officials reported the norovirus outbreak on Thursday, May 7. The cruise ship is on a trip that was supposed to last from April 28 to May 11. CruiseMapper reports that the ship is currently in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, en route to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. On May 11, the ship is expected to reach Port Canaveral, Florida.
Now, out of the 3,116 passengers onboard the cruise ship, at least 102 have reported being ill. An additional 13 people out of 1,131 crew members on the ship also reportedly being sick. The CDC reports that those infected with norovirus experience symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.
Princess Cruises confirmed the illnesses in a statement. “We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage,” the statement read. “Upon arrival to Port Canaveral on May 11, Caribbean Princess will undergo comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before departing for her next voyage.”
The cruise ship’s crew has been doing a lot of cleaning and disinfecting
Princess Cruises and the ship’s crew are reportedly now following their outbreak prevention and response plan. They have also collected stool specimens from cases of gastrointestinal illness for testing, isolated ill passengers and crew, and consulted with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) regarding sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases.
“VSP is conducting a field response for an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to assist the ship in controlling the outbreak,” the CDC said in a statement announcing the norovirus outbreak.
The CDC reports that this is the fourth gastrointestinal illness outbreak on a cruise ship this year. It is in no way tied to the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that has led at least 12 countries to monitor individuals who disembarked from an Oceanwide Expeditions ship.