The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that more than two dozen people on board a cruise ship fell ill due to a gastrointestinal outbreak.
The predominant symptom was diarrhea, the agency reported. Other details were not provided about what may have caused it.
The CDC has previously noted that norovirus can spread quickly on cruise lines, and multiple norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships have been reported over the years to the agency.
Silversea Cruises, which is described as a luxury line, quarantined the impacted passengers and one crew member, according to the CDC. It also “increased cleaning and disinfection procedures,” the agency said.
It also “made announcements to notify onboard passengers and crew of the outbreak, encourage case reporting, and encourage good hand hygiene,” the CDC said. The CDC is now “remotely monitoring the situation, including reviewing the ship’s outbreak response and sanitation procedures.”
“To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines,” the spokesperson added. No other details were provided by the firm.
The Silversea incident marks the fourth such outbreak in 2024, according to CDC data.
Norovirus?
While the CDC report still hasn’t disclosed the cause of the Silversea outbreak, norovirus has been a very common source of illnesses on cruise ships in recent years. The agency reported 14 illness outbreaks on cruise ships in 2023, with norovirus being listed as the causative agent in all but one of the incidents.In a normal year, according to the CDC, norovirus causes between 19 million and 21 million cases of vomiting and diarrhea, 109,000 hospitalizations, and 900 deaths across the United States. The virus also is associated with about 495,000 emergency department visits, mostly in younger children, the CDC says.
If there is a new strain of the virus, the CDC says, there can be upward of 50 percent more norovirus illnesses in a given year.
The CDC’s webpage for norovirus says the virus is very contagious and generally causes vomiting and diarrhea. “Anyone can get infected and sick with norovirus. Norovirus is sometimes called the ’stomach flu‘ or ’stomach bug,’” the agency says. “However, norovirus illness is not related to the flu.”
“These outbreaks often get media attention, which is why some people call norovirus the ‘cruise ship virus,’” the CDC says. “However, norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships account for only a small percentage ... of all reported norovirus outbreaks. Norovirus can be especially challenging to control on cruise ships because of the close living quarters, shared dining areas, and rapid turnover of passengers.”
“Currently, norovirus outbreak activity in the United States is within the range we would expect for this time of year and is within the range reported during the same time periods in previous years,” a spokesperson for CDC told NBC’s “Today” show on Thursday.
