After Hantavirus, Now Norovirus... Cruise Ship on Alert as 115 Infected in Outbreak

"All Areas of the Ship Disinfected"

As the world remains on edge following a recent hantavirus outbreak on an Atlantic cruise ship, a new cluster of norovirus infections has now been reported on a Caribbean cruise ship.

Norovirus structure image. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

On May 10 (local time), NBC News in the United States reported, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that a norovirus outbreak had occurred on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship. The ship was carrying 3,116 passengers and 1,131 crew members, of whom 102 passengers and 13 crew members were infected.

The Caribbean Princess departed Port Everglades, Florida, on April 28 and was sailing through the Caribbean. The voyage is scheduled to conclude on May 11, when the ship arrives at Port Canaveral in Orlando, Florida.

The outbreak was reported to the CDC on May 7. As of the afternoon of May 9, the Caribbean Princess was sailing north of the Dominican Republic and was heading toward Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.

Princess Cruises, the operator of the vessel, stated that "a small number of people reported mild gastrointestinal illness" and explained that "all areas of the ship were promptly disinfected, with additional sanitization conducted throughout the voyage."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.