A NOROVIRUS outbreak on a cruise ship has left more than 100 passengers struggling with gruelling symptoms.
Around 102 passengers and 13 crew members on board the Caribbean Princess were taken ill with the .
A noravirus outbreak has struck the Caribbean Princess Cruise Ship Credit: Alamy
The 22-year-old cruise liner is headed to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic Credit: Pacemaker Press
The ship, run by Princess Cruises, set off on April 28 and is currently in the northwest Atlantic Ocean headed to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.
There are a total of 3,116 passengers aboard the ship, with isolation policies now enforced to contain the outbreak.
Cleaning and disinfection measures, as well as testing those sick, have also been ramped up in a bid to prevent the illness spreading.
The outbreak was reported to the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) on May 7.
According to the health agency, the predominant symptoms were diarrhea and vomiting.
The company said: “We quickly disinfected every area of the ship and added extra sanitizing throughout the voyage.
“Upon arrival to Port Canaveral, Caribbean Princess will undergo comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before departing for her next voyage.”
The 22-year-old cruise liner is scheduled to arrive at Port Canaveral, Florida, on May 11.
What is norovirus ?
Norovirus is one of the most common stomach bugs in the UK.
The can come on surprisingly quickly and cause bouts of and .
Though most people will weather through the uncomfortable symptoms in a couple of days, health chiefs have recently warned of a .
The number of people in English hospitals with symptoms of the winter vomiting bug jumped to 452 from 344 in a fortnight and are nearly a third higher than January 2023, according to NHS data.
Experts have found that the vomiting bug can be passed around in a variety of ways, including .
It commonly spreads through food or water that is contaminated during preparation or through contaminated surfaces and through close contact with a person who is infected.
Norovirus infection occurs most frequently in closed and crowded environments. Examples include , nursing homes, child care centres, and ships.
The main symptoms are nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, a high temperature, a headache, aching arms and legs.
It is important to keep out for .
Call 999 if you or your child’s sick has blood in it, is green or yellow or looks like ground coffee.
Signs like a stiff neck, pain when looking at lights or a sudden severe headache or stomach ache also warrant calling 999, the NHS says.
This is the second noravirus outbreak to strike a Princess Cruises ship this year.
The gut-wrenching illness rocked the cruise line’s Star Princess in March.
Around 141 passengers and 52 crew members were taken ill dueing a week-long voyage in the Western Caribbean.
It comes as international vessel MV Hondius battles a deadly outbreak of hantavirus.
The outbreak was first reported on the Dutch-flagged ship, which was carrying 147 passengers, on May 2.
Six people have been infected by the rat virus so far – three of those have died.
The World Health Organisation said there were two suspected cases that are yet to be verified.
On Friday, UK health authorities said a third British national who left the ship early was suspected of being infected.
The MV Hondius Dutch cruise ship anchored in the Atlantic at Cape Verde Credit: AP
A health personnel wearing a hazmat suit pushes a passenger sitting on a wheelchair as they evacuate passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius Credit: AFP
The patient is currently on the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha – a British Overseas Territory with just over 200 inhabitants.
Two other British men have confirmed cases. One remains in a stable condition in the Netherlands after being evacuated from the ship on Wednesday.
Another is in intensive care after being flown to South Africa last month.
A total of seven British nationals disembarked the infected MV Hondius on the remote island of St Helena on April 24.
But the UK Security Agency told The Sun that the British suspected case on Tristan da Cunha is not one of those seven people.
It leads to questions about how the infection could have arrived on the tiny island.
Thethe cruise early continues.
A spokesperson for the UK Health Security Agency told The Sun on Thursday: “Four of these individuals remain in St Helena and we are in touch with the relevant health officials to provide advice on contact management.
Tristan da Cunha is widely considered the worlds most remote inhabited island Credit: Getty
Health workers helping passengers off cruise ship MV Hondius
At least 22 others also disembarked the MV Hondius early, with many flying home across the world on commercial flights, unaware that they might be infected.
“Tracing efforts are ongoing for the seventh individual, who we know has not yet returned to the UK.”
Two suspected cases of hantavirus in people not on the cruise ship have been linked to a Dutch woman who flew to Johannesburg before trying to travel home to Amsterdam.
The woman died of hantavirus in South Africa after being refused permission to fly to the Netherlands.
with a suspected case of the virus after contact with the woman, but later tested negative.
Contact tracing is underway in several other countries for dozens of passengers who escaped the cruise ship before the outbreak was detected.
The is now steaming towards the Canary Islands where it is due to arrive in Granadilla, Tenerife on Sunday.
After local workers threatened to blockade the port, the ship won’t dock, but will anchor nearby passengers will be evacuated using small boats.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
