A norovirus outbreak has affected nearly 100 people aboard a 13-day Royal Caribbean cruise, with the ship scheduled to arrive at its final destination in Miami on Thursday.
The incident on the Serenade of the Seas, which departed from San Diego on September 19, was reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program. As of Wednesday, the CDC confirmed that 94 of the 1,874 passengers and four of the 883 crew members had fallen ill, with predominant symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting.
In response, the crew has increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, collected stool specimens for testing, and isolated the ill passengers and crew. Royal Caribbean stated that the health and safety of its guests and crew are its “top priority” and that it implements “rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines.”
Norovirus is a highly contagious illness that causes stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting, typically appearing 12 to 48 hours after exposure. It spreads easily through contaminated surfaces, food, or close contact with an infected person.
The CDC notes that gastrointestinal illnesses spread quickly in enclosed environments such as cruise ships. This year, the agency has recorded 19 such outbreaks on cruise ships, with norovirus identified as the cause in 14 of those cases.
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