More than 100 passengers and crew members aboard the Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship fell ill during a recent trip in the Caribbean, with symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.
The eight-day voyage departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 20 and returned on December 28. The outbreak was reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which disclosed that 95 out of 3,042 passengers and 9 out of 1,235 crew members were affected.
According to the CDC, the illness likely stems from norovirus, a common cause of gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships. In response, the Celebrity Cruises team implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfection techniques and isolated those who fell ill. They also collected stool samples for testing and consulted with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program to ensure thorough sanitation measures were in place.
It is notable that the Vessel Sanitation Program has tracked multiple cruise ship outbreaks this year, with norovirus being the leading cause in numerous cases. The CDC emphasizes the importance of reporting symptoms promptly to help manage these scenarios effectively. More than 20 cruise outbreaks have been documented this year, with norovirus responsible for many of them.
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