The Centers for Disease Control C.D.C and Prevention is investigating an outbreak on board a luxury cruise ship. After more than 150 people reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, including diarrhea and vomiting. The ship Queen Victoria, operated by Cunard Line, left Southampton. England, on January 11th and also recently embarked on a 107-night cruise that included stops in Florida and San Francisco. She said the ship is scheduled to arrive in Honolulu on Monday.
C.D.C. announced that as of Thursday, 129 passengers and 25 crew members on the ship had reported feeling unwell. According to the agency, there were 1,824 passengers and 967 crew members on board at the time of the eruption. According to authorities, the cause of the illness is unknown. Southampton-based Cunard Line said in a statement that “a number of guests. Reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness” on board the ship, which also arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday. After calling in Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, and also Aruba.
The cruise line “immediately activated enhanced health and safety protocols. To ensure the health of all passengers and crew, and these measures have been effective,” the company said. In response to the outbreak, Queen Victoria’s crew has “enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures” and also “isolated sick passengers and crew members,” according to the Agency for Disease Control and Prevention. Said. The agency said it was monitoring the situation remotely, including “reviewing the ship’s outbreak response and hygiene procedures.” The ship left San Francisco for Honolulu on Wednesday and was off the U.S.
West Coast on Thursday, according to ship-tracking website Cruise Mapper. After arriving in Hawaii on Monday, the ship will make port calls in Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. Enteric illnesses can spread quickly on cruise ships, but outbreaks are common, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2014, 595 passengers and 50 crew members on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas fell ill with vomiting and diarrhea, forcing the ship to return to New Jersey early, a high-profile incident.
An Outbreak Occurred
The agency said cases of acute gastrointestinal illness, including the highly contagious norovirus, have been linked to cruise ships because the close proximity of passengers and crew increases group contact. People who become infected while on board can transmit the virus to other passengers and crew. According to the C.D.C., public health officials track illnesses on cruise ships, so “outbreaks on cruise ships are detected and reported sooner than on land.
