The latest outbreak was confirmed on the AIDAdiva cruise ship, which is on a 133-day world cruise that began on Nov. 10 in Hamburg, Germany. The outbreak was reported on Nov. 30, which was posted online by the agency on Dec. 4.
The CDC said that 95 passengers out of 2,007 and six crew members out of 640 were sickened in the outbreak. The primary symptoms of noroviruses are vomiting and diarrhea, it said.
Aida Cruises told the CDC that it would increase its cleaning and disinfection procedures, collect stool samples from illness cases for testing, isolate sick passengers and crew members, and consult with the CDC’s cruise ship team.
“Seasonal illness peaks between November and April, and the AIDAdiva report reflects infection patterns on land,” a spokesperson for the cruise operator told media outlets in response to the CDC report, adding that it has “added more hygiene protocols onboard, and cases are already going down.”
So far in 2025, at least 21 outbreaks have been reported on cruise ships. The majority were caused by norovirus, a highly contagious virus. Two outbreaks were caused by E. coli or ciguatera, a type of marine toxin.
On average, there are around 900 deaths, mainly in adults aged 65 and older, 109,000 hospitalizations, 465,000 emergency room visits, and 19 million to 21 million illnesses in the United States each year, it said.
Along with vomiting and diarrhea, other frequently reported symptoms include nausea, stomach pains, aches, headache, and fever.
Generally, people with norovirus will experience symptoms around 12 to 48 hours after they are exposed to the virus. Most people recover within one and three days.
Young children, older people, and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk, with dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea the top concern.
“When the ship docks, norovirus can be brought on board in contaminated food or water; or by passengers who were infected while ashore.”
The Epoch Times contacted Aida Cruises for comment on Tuesday.
