Norovirus outbreak on Princess cruise ship leaves dozens of passengers, crew sick: CDC
The ship, which was reportedly operated by Royal Caribbean, was hit hard during bad weather earlier this month. (Credit: Kennedy News Media/bookeeping.ai)
Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess returned to Los Angeles on Sunday morning after dozens of its passengers and crew contracted the Norovirus on its month-long cruise from Singapore.
The outbreak was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday, but was reported to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) on November 9. Of the 1,822 passengers on board, 55 were reported sick. 15 of the ship’s 907 crew also reported sick.
The most common symptoms of Norovirus are diarrhea and vomiting, the CDC says. Cruise ships are required to report gastrointestinal illnesses to the agency.
“The reported cases are the essence of this trip,” the CDC said in a statement. “It doesn’t mean that all people get sick at the same time, like when they arrive or leave a port or a ship.”
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Seventy passengers and crew have reported illness from Norovirus on a month-long flight from Asia to the United States. (Princess Cruises / Fox News)
Princess Cruises has increased cleaning and disinfection procedures due to the outbreak, according to the CDC. It also “collects stool specimens in cases of gastrointestinal disease for examination.”
The Coral Princess departed Singapore on October 17. It made eight stops in Asia before arriving in Hawaii on November 10, according to CruiseMapper.
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The passenger boarding area on the Coral Princess, a Princess Cruises ship. (Princess Cruises / Fox News)
| A ticker | Security | Finally | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCL | Company CARNIVAL CORP. | 24.31 | 0.00 |
0.00% |
Princess Cruises did not immediately respond to an inquiry from FOX Business about the outbreak.
“Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Anyone can be infected and become ill with Norovirus,” the CDC says on its website. “Norovirus is sometimes called the ‘stomach flu’ or the ‘stomach bug.’ However, norovirus illness is not related to the flu, which is caused by the flu virus.”
A close-up view of the Coral Princess in the harbor. (Princess Cruises / Fox News)
Another risk for those infected with Norovirus is dehydration, and the CDC recommends that people with the virus drink plenty of fluids to aid in their recovery.
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