Stomach Virus Halts a Cruise

California’s public health officials intercepted the Crown Princess cruise ship with at least 172 passengers and crew members suffering from gastrointestinal problems caused by norovirus, on Sunday, November 16, Reuters reports.

This is the second outbreak of this highly contagious virus on the Crown Princess, a part of Princess Cruises fleet, in less than a year, with over 100 crew and passengers stricken by the virus in April 2014.

“Over the last few days, the ship began seeing an increased number of gastrointestinal illnesses, caused by norovirus,” Reuters quoted company spokeswoman Susan Lomax as saying. “In response, we have enacted our stringent disinfecting protocols developed in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” 

The Crown Princess underwent deep cleaning in San Pedro on Sunday, before heading to the Mexican Riviera later that day. The passengers who joined the cruise in San Pedro were notified of the virus outbreak, and a CDC official inspected the vessel prior to departure.

Norovirus, also known as stomach flu, is the most common cause of foodborne disease outbreaks in the U.S., with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea as the symptoms. The outbreaks of the virus on cruise ships are usually caused by insufficient hand-washing and buffet-style dining, according to experts.

World Maritime News Staff; Image: Princess Cruises