125 Princess Cruises passengers fall sick after virus outbreak
More than 100 passengers have been struck down by suspected norovirus on a cruise ship, officials have announced.
Along with 23 crew members, dozens of people reported being unwell on the Princess Cruises vessel which was bound for Alaska and Canada.
The cruising firm announced that those impacted were placed in isolation, while other steps were also deployed to control the spread of the 'very contagious' stomach bug.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a statement on Wednesday (1 June) explaining that those onboard the Ruby Princess ship complained they had become poorly during the voyage.
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The 951ft long cruise liner set sail from San Francisco on 12 June and was scheduled to make stops in both Alaska and Canada before returning on 2 July.
Just over two weeks into the voyage, health officials were alerted to reports of illness onboard, involving 102 of the 3,032 passengers and 23 crew members.
The main symptoms they complained of were vomiting and diarrhoea, the CDC said, while announcing the 'causative agent' had been identified as norovirus.
How is norovirus spread and what are the symptoms?
The gastrointestinal illness can spread very easily and it is passed along by 'accidentally getting tiny particles of faeces (poop) or vomit in your mouth from a person infected with norovirus', the US health agency explains.
"If you get norovirus illness, you can shed billions of norovirus particles that you can’t see without a microscope," it states. "It only takes a few norovirus particles to make you and other people sick."
You can also contract norovirus through contact with contaminated food, water, or surfaces. Symptoms usually appear between 12 and 48 hours after exposure.
These commonly include diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, fever, headache, and body aches.
Sufferers are also at risk of dehydration according to the CDC, due to the frequency that they are expelling bodily fluids at.
How to avoid catching norovirus as much as possible
Experts advise washing your hands thoroughly, disinfecting contaminated surfaces and washing laundry in hot water to help prevent passing norovirus on.
The CDC also suggest washing fruits and vegetables, while it recommends that people should stay at home for at least 48 hours after their symptoms stop.
The Ruby Princess returned to San Francisco on Thursday (2 July) as planned, while Princess Cruises has implemented a range of protocols in response to the outbreak.
According to the CDC, the cruise company 'increased cleaning and disinfection procedures', 'collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing' and 'isolated ill passengers and crew'.
The Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) is 'remotely monitoring the situation, including review of the ship's outbreak response and sanitation procedures'.
In a statement shared with The Independent, Princess Cruises said that 'a limited number of guests reported mild gastrointestinal illness' during the voyage.
"Our crew responded promptly by implementing enhanced sanitation protocols across the ship, and cases have since decreased and remain low," a spokesperson said.
The ship will undergo 'comprehensive cleaning and disinfection' before it embarks on its next journey.
It comes months after passengers on another cruise ship were not allowed to disembark due to a norovirus outbreak.
Topics: Health, Cruise Ship, World News
Olivia Burke