Cruise Ship Faces Second Gastrointestinal Illness Outbreak

A second outbreak of gastrointestinal illness has struck the Cunard ship Queen Mary 2, following a previous outbreak that affected 150 people during its transatlantic journey from Southampton to New York. The ship arrived in New York on December 21, 2024, with initially 100 guests and seven crew members reported sick. This number has since been adjusted to 138 passengers and 12 crew members. The outbreak was first reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on December 19.

Despite assurances of enhanced cleaning and disinfection measures, the Queen Mary 2’s Caribbean voyage has also been impacted by illness. More than 200 out of 2,565 guests and 44 crew members have reported being ill since leaving New York. Infected passengers and crew are being isolated, and the CDC has implemented enhanced cleaning procedures as per the cruise line’s outbreak prevention plan. Symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps have been reported, but the CDC has not yet confirmed the causative agent responsible for the outbreaks.

Norovirus is often the culprit behind gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships, but the CDC has not definitively identified it as the cause in this case. Norovirus can be transmitted through food, water, or contaminated surfaces, with symptoms typically appearing within 12 to 48 hours after exposure and lasting up to three days. Interestingly, December has seen five gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships in 2024, more than any other month. In 2012, over 200 passengers on the Queen Mary 2 fell ill during a Christmas cruise.

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