Giant cruise ship hit by new outbreak
The world’s largest cruise ship was kept in port for intensive cleaning after a second outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in two voyages made 108 people ill.
More than 380 passengers and crew members aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom Of The Seas were made ill by norovirus during a cruise from November 26 to December 3.
(Noroviruses are a group of related viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans. Norovirus was recently approved as the official genus name for the group of viruses provisionally described as "Norwalk-like" viruses.)
The ship was cleaned before its next cruise, but 97 passengers and 11 crew members became sick with the same illness last week, officials at the Miami, Florida-based cruise line said.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommended keeping the ship in port in Miami and will oversee repeated cleaning of “high-touch” surfaces such as door handles, railings and lift buttons. Two additional doctors and 45 more cleaning staff will be aboard for its next voyage, now scheduled to begin today.
The ship carried more than 3,900 passengers on its latest cruise.
Another ship, Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess, was also undergoing a thorough cleaning after docking at Port Everglades, Florida, on Sunday with 97 sick passengers.
“This is not a very serious outbreak, but we did treat it as we treat all increased incidents – very immediately and swiftly,” said Julie Benson, spokeswoman for Santa Clarita, California-based Princess. The ship carried about 1,950 passengers.
Norovirus is a group of viruses that cause stomach flu symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps, according to the CDC. It spreads through contaminated food or liquids, contaminated surfaces or direct contact with someone who is infected.
Last month, nearly 700 passengers fell ill on the Carnival Liberty during a cruise.
