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More than 150 people onboard a Princess Cruises ship became ill with norovirus during a Caribbean voyage this week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak occurred aboard the Star Princess during a voyage from March 7 to March 14, according to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which monitors illness on cruise ships.
Those reported sick included 104 passengers and 49 crew members — out of 4,307 passengers and 1,561 crew members in total, the CDC said.
The outbreak was reported to the VSP on March 11, less than a week after the voyage began.
According to the CDC, the most commonly reported symptoms were diarrhea and vomiting, which are typical signs of norovirus infection.
In response to the outbreak, Princess Cruises increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, isolated sick passengers and crew members, and collected stool samples from ill individuals for testing, the CDC said.
“A limited number of individuals reported mild gastrointestinal illness during the March 7 Star Princess voyage from Ft. Lauderdale,” Princess Cruises said in a statement. “We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage. We also separated anyone feeling unwell so they could rest comfortably in private – just an added precaution to help keep the rest of our guests and crew feeling their best.”
“Star Princess returned to Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday, March 14 and underwent comprehensive cleaning before departing for its next voyage that afternoon,” the company continued.
Ship officials also consulted with CDC health officials about sanitation practices and reporting cases, according to the agency.
The VSP is conducting an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to help the ship control the spread of the illness.
The tracking site CruiseMapper showed the vessel docked in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday before continuing its voyage. Its itinerary indicated the ship was scheduled to visit Princess Cays in the Bahamas later Sunday.
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that commonly causes vomiting and diarrhea and can spread quickly in close quarters such as cruise ships, according to health officials.
The CDC notes that illness totals reported during a cruise represent the cumulative number of cases across the entire voyage — not necessarily people who were sick at the same time.
Cruise ships are required to report gastrointestinal illness cases to the CDC, which tracks outbreaks and works with cruise lines to implement sanitation and containment measures when they occur.
FOX Business has reached out to Princess Cruises and the CDC for further comment.
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