Norovirus sickens nearly 80 passengers on cruise that left from Florida
Dozens of passengers aboard a cruise ship that left from Florida have been sickened with norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program.
Holland America Line's Eurodam left Port Everglades, Florida, on Feb. 19, according to the tracking site cruisemapper.com. The cruise is scheduled to last 10 days and make multiple stops throughout the Caribbean before returning to Florida on March 1.
Seventy-nine passengers and nine crew members have reported feeling ill, according to the Vessel Sanitation Program, which said 2,057 passengers and 834 crew members are aboard the 12-deck vessel.
The predominant symptoms reported are diarrhea and vomiting, the Vessel Sanitation Program said. The ship's crew increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, isolated ill passengers and crew members, and collected stool specimens for testing, the program said. The crew will stay in contact with the Vessel Sanitation Program to consult on sanitation procedures and report any additional illnesses.
"During its current voyage, a number of guests onboard Eurodam reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. The cases were mostly mild and quickly resolved," a Holland America Line spokesperson told CBS News in a statement. "We initiated enhanced sanitation protocols in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to minimize further transmission, including continuous disinfection of the ship."
Norovirus is a very contagious illness that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Most people who are sickened with it report feeling better in one to three days, but remain contagious for a few days afterward, according to the CDC. In addition to vomiting and diarrhea, patients may experience nausea, stomach pain, fever, headaches and body aches. Patients may also become dehydrated.
Much of the United States has seen a surge in norovirus cases this year. In January, the CDC said a winter wave of infections reached levels more than double what was seen last year.
This is the second Holland America Line ship to be struck with a norovirus outbreak this month. Another cruise ship, the Rotterdam, left from Port Everglades on Feb. 2, according to cruisemapper.com. Nineteen crew members and 166 passengers reported feeling ill, the Vessel Sanitation Program said.
The Vessel Sanitation Program has investigated three other norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships this year. It said an outbreak on Princess Cruises' Coral Princess in January sickened 128 passengers and 20 crew members. Another outbreak on the Viking Ocean Cruises ship Viking Mars affected 62 passengers and nine crew members. The first norovirus outbreak investigated by the Vessel Sanitation Program this year was aboard another Holland America Line ship. Ninety-three passengers and 11 crew members were sickened on the Volendam, the Vessel Sanitation Program said.
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