GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas – More than 300 passengers who set sail aboard the Ruby Princess late last month became sick after possibly contracting Norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The dates for the voyage were from Feb. 26 - March 5.
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A CDC reports says that 284 of the 2,881 passengers and 34 of the 1,159 crewmembers onboard the Princess Cruises vessel reported experiencing a number of symptoms, primarily diarrhea and vomiting.
Princess Cruises representatives released the following statement:
”Onboard the Feb. 26 sailing of Ruby Princess, there was a number of cases of mild gastrointestinal illness among passengers, the cause likely is the common but contagious virus called Norovirus. At the first sign of an increase in the number of passengers reporting to the medical center with gastrointestinal illness, we immediately initiated additional enhanced sanitization procedures to interrupt the person-to-person spread of this virus. Our sanitation program has been developed in coordination with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and includes such measures as thorough disinfection of high-touch surfaces like railings, door handles and elevator buttons; encouraging passengers to use correct hand washing procedures and enhancing this with the use of hand sanitizing stations placed throughout the ship; isolating ill passengers in cabins until non-contagious; encouraging passengers to use their own cabin’s bathroom facilities; and providing regular verbal and written communication to passengers about steps they can take to stay well while onboard.”As an additional precaution, the ship underwent additional disinfection on March 5 in Galveston ahead of its next departure. The ship is now on a seven-day western Caribbean cruise, returning to Galveston on March 12.”