By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an GI outbreak of unknown etiology that sickened more than 400 passengers and crew, requiring the ship’s voyage to be cut short.

Image.Transylvania Public Health

Today, federal officials reported another outbreak aboard the vessel on it’s February 16–March 1, 2020 voyage. 186 passengers and 15 crew have been sickened with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.

Princess Cruises and crew aboard the ship to the usual actions: cleaning and sanitation procedures, collecting samples from passengers and crew and sending daily gastrointestinal illness reports to CDC and Caribbean public health port authorities.

Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness that often goes by other names, such as viral gastroenteritis, stomach flu, and food poisoning.

The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping. Sometimes people additionally have a low-grade fever, chills,headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness. The illness often begins suddenly, and the infected person may feel very sick. In most people, the illness is self-limiting with symptoms lasting for about 1 or 2 days. In general, children experience more vomiting than adults do.

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Norovirus is spread person to person particularly in crowded, closed places. Norovirus is typically spread through contaminated food and water, touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then putting your hand or fingers in your mouth and close contact with someone who is vomiting or has diarrhea.

The CDC VSP conducts investigations if 3.0% of the ship’s passengers or crew members have GI illness, OR if an unusual GI illness pattern or characteristic is found (even if the illness rate is less than 3%).

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