More than 230 passengers and crew members have been affected by a norovirus outbreak on a 29-day round-trip luxury cruise from England to the Eastern Caribbean, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak occurred on the Queen Mary 2, the flagship ocean liner of Cunard Lines, which departed from Southampton, England, on March 8. Symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting were reported by passengers and crew after the ship stopped in New York City on March 18. The C.D.C. stated that 224 passengers out of 2,538 onboard and 17 crew members were affected, prompting the ship to isolate them and implement sanitizing measures.
Cunard stated that they are closely monitoring the affected guests and have initiated a deep cleaning of the ship to contain the outbreak. The Queen Mary 2, launched in 2004, is one of the world’s largest ocean liners at 1,132 feet long. Norovirus, a gastrointestinal illness, is known to thrive in closed environments like cruise ships, infecting millions of Americans annually. Cruise ships are required to report outbreaks to the C.D.C., which tracks the total number of individuals affected throughout the voyage.
In addition to the Queen Mary 2, other cruise ships have also reported norovirus outbreaks, such as the Seabourn Encore and a Holland America ship in recent months. Norovirus spreads through contact or contaminated food and water, with no specific treatment available. The C.D.C. continues to monitor and report on such outbreaks to ensure the safety and well-being of passengers and crew on cruise ships.
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