02 February 2024 , 09:59
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More than 139 passengers and crew have been struck down with diarrhoea and vomiting after an outbreak on a three-week Queen Victoria cruise.
The Cunard Cruise Line ship departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 22, but on Thursday 123 passengers and 16 crew members reported gastrointestinal symptoms, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 1,824 passengers and 967 crew members on the ship.
The cases are for the entire voyage and do not represent the number of active cases, the agency said. The cause of the outbreak is unknown but the symptoms include diarrheoa and vomiting.
In response to the outbreak, the cruise line and crew have isolated ill passengers and crew and increased cleaning and disinfection procedures "according to the ship’s outbreak prevention and response plan," the CDC said.
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The CDC has reported an outbreak on the cruise (PA)"Cunard confirmed that a small number of guests had reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness on board Queen Victoria," Cunard said in a statement. "They immediately activated their enhanced health and safety protocols to ensure the wellbeing of all guests and crew on board." "Measures have been effective," the statement added.
The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program monitors the situation remotely, including "reviewing the ship’s outbreak response and sanitation procedures," the agency said.
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According to Cunard's website, the Queen Victoria is on a 107-night sailing that started in Southhampton, England, on January 11. It set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 22 with stops in Aruba, Guatemala, Cabo San Lucas, San Francisco, and Hawaii, ending on February 12,
It is the second cruise outbreak this year, according to the CDC, which reported 92 passengers and 8 crew members fell ill during a Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Constellation cruise that sailed from January 3 to January 12.
The ship was on a cruise to New Orleans, Louisiana, Belize, and Mexico that departed from Tampa, Florida on January 3. The ship increased cleaning and disinfection and isolated those who were sick, according to the agency. The cause was the norovirus virus which is highly contagious and people can get infected by interacting daily with someone who already has it.
"You can get norovirus illness many times in your life because there are many different types of noroviruses," the CDC said on its website. "Infection with one type of norovirus may not protect you against other types." There is no medicine to treat the virus but it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
And despite norovirus being often associated with cruise ships, the CDC said it represents a "tiny minority of norovirus outbreaks," while the vast majority are in healthcare settings like nursing homes.