NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK ON CELEBRITY SHIP: MORE THAN 175 DOWN WITH SYMPTOMS, CRUISE IMPLEMENTS RIGOROUS MEASURES

Over 175 people reported feeling down with norovirus during a recent Celebrity Summit cruise to Bermuda, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. The outbreak, which spread on the voyage from May 15 to 25, struck 152 of the 2,144 passengers on board and 25 crew members, according to the CDC. 

Those who felt sick suffered symptoms such as diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and headaches, reported the New York Post. 

Cruise's response to the outbreak

The CDC said that in response to the outbreak, the Summit’s crew “Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to the ship’s outbreak prevention and response plan” and “Notified current guests of the situation onboard and encouraged illness reporting and good hand hygiene".

Additionally, it “Collected and sent stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases to the CDC laboratory".

A Celebrity Cruises spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement on Tuesday (June 6) that “the health and safety of our guests, crew, and communities we visit are our top priority".

“To maintain the highest levels of health onboard our ships, we implement rigorous safety and cleaning procedures, many far exceeding public health guidelines. Combined, these efforts allow us to maintain some of the lowest levels of community spread.” the spokesperson added.

The Summit’s round-trip journey, according to the website CruiseMapper, left Bayonne, New Jersey, before making stops in Bermuda, Charleston, South Carolina, Newport, Rhode Island, and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. 

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Other cruise ships that reported cases of norovirus

In the month of March, norovirus outbreaks were reported on Celebrity’s Equinox and Constellation ships. 

In the Equinox outbreak, 122 of its 2,579 passengers and 14 crew members reported experiencing “vomiting and diarrhoea” during a voyage from March 9 to 18, according to the CDC. 

That ship departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and made halts in the Cayman Islands, Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire. 

In the Constellation outbreak, 87 of its 2,062 passengers and nine crew members experienced the same norovirus symptoms during a voyage from March 6 to 17. 

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The CDC on its official website that norovirus outbreaks can happen anytime, but occur “most often from November to April".

“Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhoea and foodborne illness in the United States. People of all ages can get infected and sick with norovirus, which spreads very easily and quickly,” it adds. 

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