Two ships reported outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhea in passengers and crew resembling norovirus, according to the latest reports from officials.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Anthem of the Seas has reported 141 cases of illness in passengers and crew during their latest voyage expected to end today.

Anthem of the Seas Image/selbst
Anthem of the Seas
Image/selbst

In response, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan, collected stool specimens from passenger and crew gastrointestinal illness cases for testing, sent 4 Hotel and Housekeeping Operations Managers, 3 Public Health staff, one nurse from the cruise line corporate office to oversee and assist with implementation of the sanitation and outbreak response procedures and sent 10 additional internal cleaning crew and 10 contract cleaning staff and equipment to the ship to assist in the execution of the ship’s outbreak response.

Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers and an epidemiologist will board the ship in Bayonne, NJ on March 2, 2016 to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. Specimens have been collected and will be sent to CDC for testing.

In addition, an outbreak of unknown etiology was also reported on Princess Cruises Ocean Princess. Nearly 50 passengers and crew have been taken ill by the norovirus-like illness.

In response to the outbreak, Princess Cruises and the crew aboard the ship reported the following actions: Increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan, Collecting stool specimens from passenger and crew gastrointestinal illness cases for testing and making daily reports of gastrointestinal illness cases to the VSP.

CDC Vessel Sanitation Program is monitoring the outbreak and the ship’s response procedures. Specimens have been collected and will be sent to CDC for additional testing.

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