Around 900 passengers aboard cruise ships were reportedly sickened from gastrointestinal disease (Image: Getty)
Around 900 passengers aboard were reportedly sickened from gastrointestinal disease in December as virus outbreaks occur globally. The shocking data has been revealed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As many as 16 outbreaks have taken place on cruise ships from , salmonella, e. coli or other unidentified pathogens that cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting.
It is the largest number of cruise ship outbreaks in 12 years, reports . Of the 16 outbreaks, five occurred in December, as per the report.
The most recent incident involved the British ocean liner Queen Mary 2, where nearly 13 percent of passengers and over 5 percent of crew aboard were infected.
The findings come amid a nationwide surge of norovirus, a fast-moving virus often transmitted through fresh food or water contaminated with tiny particles of infected feces or vomit.
It can also be transmitted through surfaces and human contact, with most outbreaks happening in places like hospitals, restaurants, and long-term care facilities.
During the week of December 5, the CDC reported 91 suspected or confirmed norovirus outbreaks—the highest number recorded for that period compared to previous seasons since 2012. This data is based on reports from 14 states participating in the CDC’s National Outbreak Reporting System.
The CDC said in a statement: “This year the number of reported norovirus outbreaks have exceeded the numbers that we’ve seen recently and in the years before the pandemic.”
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Young children and older adults are most at risk from severe dehydration from norovirus. The illness leads to some 465,000 emergency department visits each year, mostly in young children.
The disease usually spreads through direct contact, such as sharing food or utensils. To prevent infection, the CDC recommends keeping up with handwashing , “especially for people who handle food or are around children, older adults, or people with weakened immune systems.”
Recent infections on ships have prompted the Queen Mary’s parent company, Cunard, and other cruise lines, including Holland America, to increase cleaning and sanitation of ships, as well as to isolate sick crew members.