Norovirus Outbreak in British Cruise Ship Docked in the US

Hundreds of passengers on board the first cruise ship docked in Maine reportedly have contracted the highly contagious stomach bug, Norovirus.

Balmoral, the British cruise ship had started its voyage on April 16, 2016, from Southampton and reached Portland on May 08, 2016. It had 919 passengers and 520 crew members.

‘Two hundred and fifty-two out of 919 passengers and eight crew members on the Balmoral cruise ship have gotten sick with norovirus in the US.’

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had reported that 252 passengers and eight crew members had been sickened with the norovirus. The officials boarded the ship to conduct an assessment and confirmed the norovirus contamination.

They have alerted the ship operators Fred Olsen Cruises to undertake immediate sanitation measures and clean the ship thoroughly. Most of the passengers were Britishers.

Norovirus is contagious, usually transmitted through contaminated food, water and from person-person. Typical symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain.

Source: Medindia