More than 100 passengers felled by highly contagious norovirus on cruise ship

©Kateryna Kovtun via Unsplash

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that norovirus has broken out on a cruise ship touring the Caribbean. More than 100 passengers and 10 crew members have already been felled by the contagious stomach flu.

The cruise ship Caribbean Princess is en route from Florida to the Bahamas. But already 102 passengers and 13 crew members have fallen ill on their journey. They all appear to be infected with the norovirus. Consequently, they are counting down the time when they can go ashore again. After all, norovirus causes annoying health problems.

This is because norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes stomach flu. The symptoms are acute and severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In addition, abdominal cramps, abdominal pain, fever and headache may occur. The virus spreads quickly through direct contact, as well as through infected airborne droplets.

The virus broke out Thursday on the cruise ship, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ). Sailors with symptoms were immediately isolated in their cabins. Cleaning and disinfection teams also took immediate action.

The Norovirus regularly breaks out on cruise ships due to the confined environment with many people in small spaces. Passengers and crew members share dining rooms, pools, hallways, elevators and toilets, allowing the virus to spread quickly. The virus is also very persistent: it can survive on surfaces for days to weeks and is fairly resistant to many hand sanitizers. Infection usually occurs through direct contact, contaminated food or water, or through airborne particles and droplets.

©Kateryna Kovtun via Unsplash - illustration image