As the international community is on edge after a hantavirus outbreak on a trans-Atlantic cruise, a norovirus outbreak—marked by vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain—has occurred on a cruise ship sailing in the Caribbean.
On the 10th, NBC, citing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reported that on the cruise ship Caribbean Princess, 115 people—102 passengers and 13 crew members out of a total of 4,247 passengers and crew—were recorded as infected with norovirus.
Norovirus infection is an acute gastroenteritis transmitted through contaminated food or water, contact with an infected person, or contaminated surfaces. After an incubation period of 12 to 48 hours, symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain appear, and some patients also experience fever or chills.
The ship departed Port Everglades, Florida, on Apr. 28 and has been operating in the Caribbean. It is scheduled to dock at Port Canaveral, Florida, on the 11th to end its voyage.
The mass infection was reported to the CDC on the 7th (local time). As of the afternoon of the 9th, the ship was reported to be moving past the northern waters of the Dominican Republic toward Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.
Princess Cruises, the operator, said in a statement that "some passengers and crew showed mild gastrointestinal symptoms," and noted that "we immediately carried out disinfection throughout the ship and are conducting additional quarantine measures during the voyage." The company added, "After the ship returns on the 11th, we plan to conduct a full cleaning and additional disinfection."