Norovirus Outbreak Infects Hundreds of Passengers on Popular Cruise Line
Over 200 passengers and crew members aboard a still-at-sea Cunard cruise ship have contracted norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The ship departed Southampton, England on March 8 bound for New York City and then the Caribbean. Of the 2,538 guests on board, 224 have reportedly fallen ill to the stomach bug which causes vomiting and diarrhea. Another 17 crew members are also affected, the CDC confirmed. As the cruise does not conclude until April 6, the uninfected guests are stuck rubbing shoulders with those who have come down with norovirus.'We have had a small number of guests on board Queen Mary 2 who have reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness,' a Cunard spokesperson told U.S.A. Today. 'We are continuing to closely monitor the guests and, as a precaution, completed a comprehensive deep clean of the ship and immediately activated our enhanced health and safety protocols, which are proving to be effective.'
Unfortunately, the Queen Mary 2 is not the only ship stuck at sea currently suffering from a norovirus outbreak. The CDC reported that Seabourn Cruise Lines' Seabourn Encore is also weathering its share of sick passengers. Out of 461 guests, 12 have fallen ill with norovirus. Twenty-two of the 405 crew members have also been diagnosed. Like the Queen Mary 2, the Seabourn Encore will be in open water until April 9, leaving uninfected passengers over a week to wait it out.Diagnosed passengers on both ships have been quarantined from healthy guests. So far this year, the CDC has identified 12 gastrointestinal disease outbreaks on cruise ships. Norovirus has reportedly been responsible for 10 of those instances.
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