More Than 300 People Fall Sick On Princess Cruise Ship, Symptoms Indicate Norovirus

More than 300 passengers and crew members fell sick while on board a Princess Cruises ship after suffering a viral outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

At least 284 of 2,881 passengers and 34 of the 1,159 crew members reported falling ill on the Ruby Princess, part of Princess Cruises' fleet, between Feb. 26 and March 5, CDC investigators said in an investigation update dated March 7.

While CDC investigators are working on identifying the exact cause of the illness, victims commonly suffered symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.

At the end of its voyage on March 5, the ship anchored in Galveston, Texas, following which CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program epidemiologists and environmental health officers were sent to investigate the outbreak, The Houston Chronicle reported.

Responding to the outbreak, the crew increased cleaning and disinfection procedures across door handles, railings and elevator buttons in accordance with the ship's outbreak response plan. They also collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases to send to the CDC for investigation.

The ship distributed notifications and announcements to inform guests of the increased number of illness cases and keep them updated about the situation.

The crew administered preventive measures, directing sick passengers to isolate themselves in their rooms. Passengers were urged to use the bathroom in their cabin, the company said in a statement to Business Insider.

A company spokesperson told CBS News that the illness was likely caused by norovirus, a highly contagious virus that typically has symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. The symptoms experienced by passengers were parallel to norovirus. It wasn't clear if anyone was hospitalized.

Norovirus is behind more than 90% of diarrheal disease outbreaks on cruise ships, as per the CDC. One can get norovirus from an infected person, touching contaminated surfaces, or consuming adulterated food or water. The contagious virus causes inflammation in the stomach or intestines, resulting in acute gastroenteritis. It can further cause diarrhea, stomach pain and nausea.

The CDC encourages people planning cruise trips to be on the lookout for any symptoms and take precautionary measures like frequent washing of hands while on board.

The company added the ship has embarked on its next voyage - a seven-day western Caribbean cruise that will return to Galveston on March 12. The current group of passengers was prior informed about the outbreak on the previous voyage.

"As an additional precaution, the ship underwent an additional disinfection on March 5 in Galveston ahead of its next departure," the company added.