Over 140 passengers and crew members aboard a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship were sickened by a gastrointestinal illness that led to vomiting and diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The outbreak happened on the Navigator of the Seas ship during its July 4 to 11 voyage, the CDC said. The ship sailed from Los Angeles to a few stops in Mexico, including Cabo San Lucas, and back again, according to Gangwaze, which tracks cruise routes.
The outbreak was reported to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) — which works to prevent and control the spread of gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships — on July 11. Cruise ships are required to report such outbreaks to the CDC.
According to the CDC, 134 out of 3,914 passengers onboard reported being ill during the journey, while seven out of 1,266 crew members reported being ill. Their predominant symptoms were diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.
Following the outbreak, the crew aboard the Navigator of the Seas increased cleaning and disinfection procedures aboard the ship, collected stool specimen from people who reported feeling ill and isolated those who reported feeling ill, the CDC said.
The cause of the spread of the gastrointestinal illness is not known at this time, according to the CDC.
“Norovirus is often a cause of gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships, but we don’t always know the cause of the outbreak when we begin an investigation,” the CDC said in a report on the outbreak. “Finding the agent that caused an outbreak (causative agent) can take time.”
People with gastrointestinal illness are asked to give stool or vomit samples, which are then tested to determine the cause, the CDC said.
Anyone can contract Norovirus, which is contagious and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fever and body aches, according to the CDC. Ingesting contaminated food or liquids, having contact with someone who has the virus and touching contaminated objects can cause people to contact it.
Most people with Norovirus get better in one to three days, but can still spread the virus two weeks or more afterwards, according to the CDC.
People can avoid contracting Norovirus by washing their hands, and washing fruits, vegetables and cooking shellfish thoroughly before consumption, the CDC advises. Once sick with the virus, it is best to stay isolated for two days after symptoms stop.
Samples collected from the Navigator of the Seas outbreak are still pending confirmatory testing, according to the CDC.
Royal Caribbean International did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Anna Sundberg contributed.
