Norovirus outbreak on Princess cruise ship leaves dozens of passengers, crew sick: CDC
Closeup look of the Coral Princess at a port. (Princess Cruises / Fox News)
Princess Cruises' Coral Princess is back in Los Angeles on Sunday morning after dozens of its passengers and crew fell ill with Norovirus during its month-long journey from Singapore.
The outbreak was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday, but reported to the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) on Nov. 9. Of the 1,822 passengers on board, 55 reported being ill. Fifteen of the ship's 907 crew members also reported being ill.
The most notable symptoms of Norovirus are diarrhea and vomiting, the CDC says. Cruise ships are required to report gastrointestinal illnesses to the agency.
"Cases reported are totals for the entire voyage," the CDC said in a statement. "It does not mean all people are sick at the same time, such as when they arrive or leave a port or ship."
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Seventy passengers and crew reported falling ill to Norovirus on a month-long cruise from Asia to the United States. (Princess Cruises / Fox News)
Princess Cruises increased cleaning and disinfection procedures in response to the outbreak, according to the CDC. It also "collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing."
The Coral Princess left Singapore on Oct. 17. It made eight stops in Asia before arriving in Hawaii on Nov. 10, according to CruiseMapper.
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Princess Cruises did not immediately respond to a FOX Business inquiry about the outbreak.
"Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. Anyone can get infected and sick with Norovirus," the CDC states on its website. "Norovirus is sometimes called the 'stomach flu' or 'stomach bug.' However, norovirus illness is not related to the flu, which is caused by influenza virus."
One risk that those infected with Norovirus face is dehydration, and the CDC recommends that people who have the virus drink plenty of fluids to help with their recovery.