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Health officials said 5% of passengers fell ill with gastrointestinal symptoms during a voyage that stopped in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia.
WASHINGTON — Nearly 100 passengers and crew aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that docked in Florida Thursday fell ill with norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The outbreak occurred on Serenade of the Seas, a 13-day voyage that departed San Diego on Sept. 19 and docked in Miami on Thursday, Oct. 2. The cruise made stops in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia along the way.
As of the CDC’s most recent update, 94 passengers and four crew members reported symptoms of acute gastroenteritis, including diarrhea and vomiting. The ship was carrying 1,874 passengers and 883 crew members.
The outbreak was reported to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program on Sept. 28, nine days into the trip. The agency is monitoring the situation remotely and reviewing the ship’s response and sanitation procedures.
Royal Caribbean said it has taken a number of steps in response to the outbreak, including ramped-up cleaning and disinfection protocols, isolating ill individuals, collecting stool samples for testing and working with the CDC’s sanitation program on containment efforts.
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that spreads easily through contaminated food, surfaces or close contact with infected individuals.
According to the CDC, symptoms usually begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure and include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain. Some cases may also involve fever, headache or body aches.
Cruise lines are required to report gastrointestinal illness cases to the CDC when the number of cases reaches 2% of total passengers or crew. In this case, the passenger illness rate stands at 5%, while crew cases make up about 0.5%.
The CDC stresses the importance of early reporting of symptoms to onboard medical staff to limit the spread of illness and help detect outbreaks more quickly.
The agency encourages passengers to follow healthy cruising guidelines, including frequent handwashing and avoiding public areas when sick.
This marked the third norovirus outbreak on a Royal Caribbean ship this year.
