The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that hundreds of passengers and crew aboard a Princess Cruises ship became ill in a single week.
Over 300 people were sickened on the Ruby Princess cruise ship from Texas to Mexico, which left on February 26 and returned on March 5. According to CDC investigators, 284 of the 2,881 passengers on the ship were feeling ill.
Thirty-four of the over 1,100 crew members also reported feeling ill. Among their symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea.
When the ship docked in Texas on March 5, the CDC dispatched a team of epidemiologists and environmental health officers from their Vessel Sanitation Program to investigate the mysterious outbreak.
The cause of the illness, however, has yet to be determined by epidemiologists and health officials.
The cruise ship attempted to stay ahead of the infections by cleaning and disinfecting the ship more frequently than usual. Officials also collected stool samples for CDC testing.
According to a Princess Cruises spokesperson, workers also asked passengers to remain in their rooms. The company issued a statement about the outbreak, claiming that norovirus was most likely to blame.
Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is often referred to as the “cruise ship virus” because it is responsible for more than 90% of all diarrhea outbreaks on cruise ships.
After a few days, the ship embarked on a new journey, according to the cruise line. The company informed the new passengers aboard the Ruby Princess, who were embarking on a seven-day Caribbean cruise, about the previous trip’s outbreak.
It is not the first time the Ruby Princess has made headlines as a result of an outbreak. The ship docked in Australia in 2020, during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, with hundreds of people onboard having tested positive for the virus.
It’s unclear whether any of the sick people on the recent trip were admitted to the hospital.
To determine the cause of the illness, the CDC is analyzing stool samples.