CDC confirms norovirus outbreak sickening nearly 90 people on Holland America cruise ship
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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed an outbreak of norovirus on a cruise ship this year – the first of a reported year.
Holland America Line was hit by a norovirus outbreak that sickened nearly 90 passengers and crew during its Dec. 28 – Jan. 9.
The cruise notified the CDC of the outbreak on January 8, according to the agency’s report.
CDC REPORTS THIS YEAR’S 21ST CRUISE SHIP NOROVIRUS INFECTION, NEARLY 100 PEOPLE INFECTED
The outbreak spread on board the cruise line Rotterdam.
The ship departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida with stops in Curaçao, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica and elsewhere, according to CruiseMapper.
A norovirus outbreak on a Holland America Line cruise ship (not pictured) affected nearly 90 passengers and crew members. (Ken Jack/Getty Images)
81 passengers and eight crew members reported diarrhea and vomiting, the CDC said.
More than 2,593 passengers, and 1,005 crew members, were on board at the time.
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A spokesperson for Holland America Line told Fox News Digital on Monday that “on its previous voyage, several guests aboard the Rotterdam have reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness.”
“The cases were minor and were resolved quickly,” said a spokesperson for the department.
The ship (not pictured) departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida with stops in Curaçao, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica and elsewhere. (Holland America Line)
“The health of our guests and our staff is of the utmost importance, and in accordance with CDC regulations, we have sanitized the ship as the cruise ends Friday in Fort Lauderdale.”
“We conducted a clean-up operation on the ship when the cruise ended on Friday in Fort Lauderdale.”
Since the outbreak, the cruise line has stepped up its cleaning and disinfection procedures, according to its outbreak prevention and response plan, the CDC noted.
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Holland America Line collected seat samples from cases of gastrointestinal illness to test and isolate sick passengers and employees, the CDC reported.
To track gastrointestinal problems, medical staff check for symptoms of three or more loose stools in people within a 24-hour period, or that is more than normal for individual travelers.
“If people clean a lot, they should avoid public places, because even if they don’t touch anything, the virus can spread through the air,” said the medical director. (Holland America Line)
Scott Weisenberg, MD, medical director of NYU Langone Infectious Disease Associates and the NYU Travel Medicine Program, previously told Fox News Digital that the virus is highly contagious — and can spread quickly in crowded places like cruise ships.
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“If people vomit a lot, they must avoid public places, because even if they don’t touch anything, the virus can spread in the air,” he said.
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Weisenberg also noted that proper hygiene plays an important role in preventing infection.
Shared surfaces can easily become contaminated, putting anyone they touch at risk of infection.
