More than 100 passengers and crew members aboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship experienced a norovirus outbreak just as the ship docked in San Francisco after a 20-day trip. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that 102 of the ship’s 3,032 passengers and 23 of its 1,144 crew members reported illnesses linked to the highly contagious stomach virus, with common symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting.
In response to the outbreak, which follows a recent hantavirus outbreak on another cruise ship, the Ruby Princess’s operator, Princess Cruises, has implemented increased cleaning and disinfection protocols. The company noted that the number of cases had decreased and remained low, while efforts to isolate infected individuals were undertaken during the voyage.
The Ruby Princess was returning from a round trip to Canada and Alaska. Similar outbreaks have been reported in recent months, including cases on other ships operated by Princess Cruises. In May, the British-flagged cruise ship Ambition also dealt with a norovirus outbreak, affecting many passengers while docking in Bordeaux, France.
The recent health concerns within the cruise industry follow a more severe outbreak of the hantavirus earlier this year on the MV Hondius, where three deaths occurred. This outbreak gained significant attention and resulted in international health responses led by the World Health Organization. The WHO confirmed that no new hantavirus cases linked to that incident have been reported since late May, marking the outbreak as officially over.
For further reading on related topics, visit:
- Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak Officially Over After 13 Infected, 3 Dead
- Another Cruise Is Hit With A Sickness Outbreak—But It’s Not Hantavirus
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