Norovirus Caused At Least 67% of Cruise Outbreaks in the Last 20 Years
Skift Take
The cause of a norovirus, whether it's a single passenger or malfunctioning dishwasher, is almost impossible to pinpoint making it tough for the CDC or cruise lines to say when, if ever, the risk will be mitigated.
It's only one month into 2014 and there have already been three outbreaks of stomach flu on U.S. cruise ships.
Last month was one of the worst Januarys for cruise ship gastrointestinal illness outbreaks in the past six years. Three ships returned to U.S. ports last month with at least 5 percent of passengers with a stomach flu. The last time more than two cruise ships reported outbreaks in January was 2006.
Norovirus, better known as the stomach flu, was the cause of two of the three outbreaks. It was revealed yesterday that a new strain of the virus was responsible for almost 700 illnesses on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the the Seas.
Norovirus is the most common cause of gastrointestinal illness outbreak
