The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have verified that over 100 individuals aboard a cruise ship heading to Canada have become ill.
The Ruby Princess Cruise ship embarked from San Francisco on June 12, with its planned destinations being Alaska and Canada, promising a pleasant journey for all its passengers.
However, just over a fortnight into the trip, health authorities were notified of a norovirus outbreak on the ship.
A total of 102 passengers along with 23 crew members exhibited symptoms, meeting the CDC’s threshold of three percent or more passengers affected.
The vessel originally accommodated 3,032 passengers and 1,144 crew members when it departed.
The Ruby Princess returned to San Francisco on July 2. Those who were ill were disembarked and placed in isolation.
Princess Cruises informed the Independent that ‘a limited number of guests reported mild gastrointestinal illness’ during their time on the ship.
In their statement, they noted: “Our crew responded promptly by implementing enhanced sanitation protocols across the ship, and cases have since decreased and remain low.”
Following the outbreak, the CDC stated that Princess Cruises ‘collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing’, isolated sick passengers on board, and collaborated with health officials regarding ‘sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases’.
The ship is undergoing ‘comprehensive cleaning and disinfection’ prior to its next scheduled cruise, as mentioned by Princess Cruises.
Meanwhile, the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) is ‘remotely monitoring the situation, including review of the ship’s outbreak response and sanitation procedures’.
UNILAD has contacted Princess Cruises for further comments.
The virus, commonly known as the ‘winter vomiting bug’, causes acute gastroenteritis, which involves inflammation of the stomach or intestines.
Being highly contagious, it spreads through close contact with infected individuals, touching contaminated surfaces, or consuming contaminated food or water.
Due to these factors, cruise ships can become hotspots for the virus, leading to situations like the one aboard this Princess Cruise.
Symptoms of the virus generally appear within 12-48 hours after exposure.
Mayo Clinic reports that norovirus signs and symptoms include:
Since symptoms typically emerge shortly after exposure, most individuals recover from norovirus relatively quickly.
Symptoms usually last between one to three days, although individuals may continue to shed the virus in their stool for weeks following recovery.