Norovirus has infected 172 people a cruise ship that docked in California Sunday. The highly contagious Norovirus outbreak infected the passengers during the nearly month-long trip, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Safety measures would be taken so that infected guests docking on port would not transmit the Norovirus illness to other guests, officials say.
There were 4,100 passengers in total aboard the Crown Princess when more than a hundred started showing symptoms of Norovirus, a gastrointestinal sickness, just a few days after leaving from Los Angeles to Hawaii to Tahiti, according to the Associated Press.
The highly contagious stomach virus infected 158 of the 3,009 passengers and 14 of the 1,160 members of crew, reports Sky News.
After the Norovirus struck ill some of the passengers and crew, they were treated on the ship. Fortunately, no one required hospitalization as the Crown Princess docked in California on Sunday, said cruise officials.
CDC officials are reportedly due to board the ship to investigate the cause of the Norovirus outbreak and the cruise line's response.
Crew members of the Princess Cruises ship meanwhile reportedly responded to the Norovirus outbreak by cleaning and disinfecting the ship. They also encouraged passengers to report possible cases and collect specimens for testing.
Yvonne Lubos, a passenger aboard the ship when the Norovirus outbreak occurred, told NBC that the ill passengers were instructed to remain in their rooms, with their meals just being delivered.
"In the dining room you were no longer allowed to take utensils. Everything was handed to you," added Lubos.
Another passenger, Laura Tagliere, was on the cruise with her husband and three children when the Norovirus outbreak occurred.
"(Crew members) were wiping down handrails and walls, bathrooms, tables, the chairs - everything you can think of they were continually wiping it down," she said.
According to company spokeswoman Susan Lomax, the ship will is set to undergo a deep cleaning at a terminal in San Pedro before embarking on its next voyage to the Mexican Riviera.
It is not the first time the same ship from Princess Cruises was involved in a Norovirus outbreak.
129 people were also acquired Norovirus in April during a seven-day cruise off the California coast. According to Lomax, the ship went through the same stringent disinfecting process after docking.
"As it is the cold and flu season, when the stomach flu circulates on land, we encourage all of our guests to be diligent in following the widely accepted practices of frequent hand washing with soap and water and the use of hand sanitizers," said Lomax.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports that the cruise industry's image has since taken a beating because of the recent Norovirus outbreaks.
According to a survey by the Harris Poll earlier this year, the cruise industry fell 11% in February from a year earlier. Trust in the cruise industry also dropped 12% and scores indicating plans of booking a cruise trip fell 13%.
An online survey also revealed that Americans favoured commercial air travel more than cruising nowadays.
Symptoms of the highly contagious Norovirus include vomiting, diarrhea, fever and body aches. People with Norovirus also have their stomachs becoming inflamed. Most people however have chances of recovery within three days, according to the CDC.
Norovirus is transmitted through an infected person. Another source of transfer is through contaminated food or water, or touching contaminated surfaces.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
