Norovirus outbreaks are all too common on cruises. The latest is the Crown Princess of Princess Cruise Lines. The ship was on a month-long cruise on the Pacific.
According to the CDCs Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), Of the 3,009 people on board, 158 have been experiencing gastrointestinal problems. Fourteen of the 1,160 crew members are also sick. Most of those sickened were ill in the last 15 days of the voyage.
Symptoms of norovirus include vomiting and diarrhea. The virus is very contagious and spreads rapidly among people lived in a closed environment.
In response, Princess Cruise and the crew are sanitizing the ship. They are increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures, making announcements to notify passengers of the outbreak, encouraging case reporting, and encouraging hand hygiene, and making multiple daily reports of illnesses to the VSP. They will also collect stool specimens from ill passengers and crew and test with onboard rapid norovirus tests. The results are positive.
Some passengers are checking in on November 16, 2014, and they will be informed about the outbreak before they get on the ship. Crown Princess crew will consult with the CDC on plans for their sanitation procedures in San Pedro, California on that day. A CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officer will board the ship today and conduct an environmental health assessment.
