More than 20 people on an Oceania Cruises voyage reported being sick from an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC said the cause of the outbreak has not yet been identified, and stool samples from sick passengers are undergoing testing to determine the pathogen. Norovirus is a frequent culprit in cruise ship outbreaks, but the CDC noted that “we don't always know the cause of the outbreak when we begin an investigation” and that confirming an agent can take time.
In response, Oceania Cruises and the ship’s crew increased cleaning and disinfection in line with their outbreak prevention and response plan, isolated sick guests and crew, and collected stool specimens for laboratory analysis. The company also consulted with Vessel Sanitation Program officials on sanitation procedures and reporting of cases while federal staff “remotely monitored the situation, including review of the ship's outbreak response and sanitation procedures,” the agency said.
A spokesperson for the cruise line did not respond to a request for comment from NTD News prior to publication.
Cruise lines must report cases of acute gastroenteritis when passengers or crew meet the CDC’s case definition and see a shipboard doctor. The CDC defines a reportable case as three or more loose stools within 24 hours, or more than is normal for that person, or vomiting accompanied by another symptom such as diarrhea, muscle aches, headache, abdominal cramps, or fever.
Passengers can take steps to reduce their risk by following CDC “tips for healthy cruising,” which emphasize handwashing, fast reporting of symptoms to the ship’s medical center, and following isolation instructions if they become sick.