Norovirus Outbreak on Crown Princess

Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess suffered an outbreak of norovirus on its January 3 – 18 voyage. The incident is the first reported norovirus outbreak on a cruise ship calling at a U.S. port so far this year.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the outbreak affected 180 out of 3,060 (5.88 percent) of passengers and 24 out of 1,168 (2.05 percent) of crewmembers.
 
A new report released this month Acute Gastroenteritis on Cruise Ships — United States, 2008–2014 states the reported rates of diarrheal disease (three or more loose stools or a greater than normal amount in a 24-hour period) on cruise ships has decreased by 2.4 percent, from 29.2 cases per 100,000 travel days to 28.5 cases. The rate among crew members was essentially unchanged. 

The rate among both passengers and crew members was higher in 2012 compared with the preceding and following years, likely because of the emergence of a new norovirus strain. Among 73,599,005 passengers on cruise ships during 2008–2014, a total of 129,678 cases of acute gastroenteritis were reported during outbreak and non-outbreak voyages (0.18 percent.)
 
Cases of acute gastroenteritis illness on cruise ships are relatively infrequent, states the report. Norovirus, the most common causative agent of outbreaks, accounted for 14,911 cases among passengers and crew members during 2008–2014, 0.01 percent of the estimated number of norovirus cases in the United States during the study period. 

The report recommends that to further reduce acute gastroenteritis on cruise ships, travelers should practice good hand hygiene, especially after using the toilet and before touching the face or eating. People experiencing diarrhea or vomiting should promptly report their illness for proper assessment, treatment, and monitoring.

Incidents reported to CDC in 2015