By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

In this post I look at update on the two recent cruise ship outbreaks involving Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess:

The February 2–16, 2020 voyage

In a follow-up on the first outbreak in early February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the etiology of the outbreak to be norovirus.

More than 400 passengers and crew were affected.

Diamond Princess: Quarantine resulted in more coronavirus patients

The February 16–March 1, 2020 voyage

Image/CDC

While the etiology of this outbreak has yet to be determined, officials have reported additional cases. As of today, the number of passengers and crew affected has risen to 259.

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.

Subscribe to Outbreak News TV on YouTube

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.

Norovirus causes more than 20 million illnesses annually in the US, and it is the leading cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks in the United States.