Norovirus cases continue to climb across US
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed another norovirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship.
Aida Cruises’ AIDAdiva cruise ship was hit with a norovirus outbreak that sickened nearly 100 passengers during its Nov. 10–Dec. 16 voyage.
The cruise notified the CDC of the outbreak on Nov. 30, according to the agency’s report.
CDC REPORTS 19TH CRUISE SHIP NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK THIS YEAR, AFFECTING PASSENGERS AND CREW
The vessel departed from Hamburg, Germany, and was heading to England, the U.S., Mexico and Costa Rica, according to CruiseMapper.
Ninety-five passengers and six crew reported diarrhea and vomiting, the CDC’s data shows.
Aida Cruises’ AIDAdiva was hit by a norovirus outbreak during its almost month-long voyage, leaving nearly 100 passengers sick. (Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg)
Over 2,000 passengers, plus 640 crew members, were on board.
In response to the outbreak, Aida Cruises said it increased cleaning and disinfection efforts across the ship. It also isolated sick passengers and crew, and collected stool samples for testing.
NOROVIRUS SICKENS OVER 200 CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS ON MONTH-LONG VOYAGE
“Seasonal illness peaks between November and April, and the AIDAdiva report reflects infection patterns on land,” an AIDA spokesperson told USA TODAY.
“Therefore, we’ve added more hygiene protocols onboard, and cases are already going down.”
Ninety-five passengers and six crew members reported symptoms, according to CDC data. (iStock)
The cruise line also consulted with CDC Vessel Sanitation Program officials about sanitation procedures and case reporting.
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Scott Weisenberg, M.D., medical director of the NYU Langone Infectious Disease Associates and the NYU Travel Medicine Program, previously told Fox News Digital that the virus is highly contagious — and that it can spread quickly in crowded settings such as cruise ships.
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“If people have acute vomiting, they should avoid public areas, since even if they don’t touch anything, the virus can spread through the air,” he said.
As a result of the outbreak, enhanced sanitation measures were implemented on board, along with isolating those who became ill. (Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg)
Weisenberg also noted that proper hygiene plays a key role in preventing transmission. Shared surfaces can easily become contaminated, putting anyone who touches them at risk of infection.
He added that washing hands with soap and water offers better protection than using alcohol-based sanitizers.
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This latest incident adds to a growing number of norovirus outbreaks reported on cruise ships this year.
There have now been a total of 21 outbreaks, according to the CDC.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Aida Cruises for comment.
Kelly McGreal is a production assistant with the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.
