MIAMI — Dozens of passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship have fallen ill with norovirus, health officials said.
The Serenade of the Seas, which departed from San Diego on Sept. 19 for a 13-night trip, is scheduled to arrive at PortMiami on Thursday morning, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report published Monday stated that 71 passengers and one crew member have reported symptoms, including diarrhea and vomiting, out of 1,874 passengers and 883 crew members. By Tuesday, those figures had risen to 94 passengers and four crew members.
The CDC classifies an outbreak as affecting 3% or more of a cruise ship’s passengers or crew with specific gastrointestinal symptoms. As of Tuesday afternoon, least 5% of passengers and 0.5% of crew members on Serenade of the Seas were experiencing Norovirus symptoms.
Noon report
Miami-bound cruise ship reports norovirus outbreak affecting dozens Dozens of passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship have fallen ill with norovirus, health officials said.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Aileen Marty explained to Local 10 why norovirus can spread so quickly in places like cruise ships.
“Anytime you have more than 2% in a crowded area it’s considered an outbreak and must be reported to the vessel sanitation program at the CDC,” Marty said.
“Anytime you have crowds and lots of eating environments and people who don’t wash their hands properly after going to the bathroom, then you can easily contaminate surfaces that others will touch and people will grab fries or bread and put that in their mouth - that’s how people get infected,” she added.
The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program is monitoring the situation, including a review of the ship’s outbreak response and sanitation procedures, according to the report.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement that the “health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority” and that the company follows cleaning procedures that “far exceed public health guidelines.”
The CDC says Royal Caribbean International and the crew aboard the ship have reported taking several actions including the following actions including increased cleaning and disinfection, isolated ill passengers and crew, and collected stool specimens for testing.
Norovirus spreads easily in environments like cruise ships, which have common areas, buffets, and shared utensils. Health experts recommend frequent handwashing and avoiding the sharing of personal items to prevent infection.
“Make sure your hands are clean so what you put into your mouth is safe,” said Marty.
Officials said they will continue to monitor the outbreak and will speak with arriving passengers about their experience on board.
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