Three cruise ships have been hit with norovirus outbreaks this month, with one ship reporting more than 100 passengers falling ill, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Ruby Princess ship departed San Francisco for a round-trip to Hawaii on Dec. 2 and returned on Dec. 18. The liner responded to the outbreak by increasing disinfection and isolating sick passengers and crew members.
The Princess Cruises line also collected stool specimens for testing and consulted with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program about sanitation cleaning procedures, the agency stated.
The two other cruise ships hit with norovirus outbreaks this month were Rotterdam and Zuiderdam, both from the Holland America cruise liner.
The Holland America liner isolated sick passengers and crew members and intensified cleaning and disinfection procedures as part of measures to contain the outbreak. It also gathered stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing, according to the CDC.
The Epoch Times reached out to both Princess Cruises and Holland America for comment but did not hear back by publication time.
The virus causes 19 million to 21 million cases of vomiting and diarrhea every year in the United States, leading to 109,000 hospitalizations and 900 deaths, primarily among adults aged 65 years and older, the NFID stated.
Norovirus is also linked to more than 495,000 emergency department visits, mostly in younger children, according to the agency. The NFID stated that a person can become infected by the virus more than once in his or her lifetime, with symptoms typically appearing suddenly.
Norovirus outbreaks often occur in health care facilities, long-term care facilities, restaurants, child care centers, schools, and cruise ships. In addition to vomiting and diarrhea, infected persons can experience symptoms such as stomach cramps and nausea.
“People infected with norovirus are contagious from the moment they begin feeling ill to at least 3 days after recovery. Some people may be contagious for as long as 2 weeks after recovery,” the NFID stated.
The NFID recommends several steps to prevent contracting norovirus, including washing hands with soap before handling food, washing fruits and vegetables before consumption, and cooking oysters and other shellfish before eating them.