The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating nearly 200 cases of norovirus detected this April on two cruise ships, one that set sail from Tampa, on the west coast of Florida, and another from Los Angeles, California. .
The Norovirus outbreak on Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas, which set sail from Tampa on April 8, left 67 of the 1,993 passengers traveling on that 14-day cruise sick, in addition to two crew members, they said. the CDC in a statement.
Another 94 passengers, out of 2,532, and 20 crew members on the Princess Cruises ship Sapphire Princess were also infected with this virus during a cruise that set sail on April 5 from Los Angeles and made stops in Hawaii and the South Pacific. .
The CDC indicated that the pathogen causing the illnesses was an outbreak of norovirus and that the patients showed the predominant symptoms of gastroenteritis, such as diarrhea and vomiting.
In response to the outbreak, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruises "collected stool samples from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing," isolated sick passengers and crew members, and "increased cleaning and disinfection procedures in accordance with the ship's outbreak prevention and response plan.
The effects of norovirus are usually not serious, but it causes diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain and is transmitted from person to person through ingestion of contaminated food, fecal water or contact with surfaces infected by the virus.
As protective measures, the CDC advises washing your hands frequently, rinsing fruits and vegetables, cooking seafood thoroughly, and staying home when you are sick and for two days after your symptoms disappear.
