The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) has begun an investigation into an outbreak of
gastrointestinal illness that affected more than two dozen people aboard Regent
Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Mariner last month.
The agency says 27
people — including 21 passengers and six crew members — reported
gastrointestinal symptoms during a cruise from Miami
to Honolulu that ran from January 11 to February 1. There were 631 passengers
on board at the time of the outbreak, Fox
News reported.
According to CruiseMapper,
the sailing included several port stops in Central
America and Mexico,
including visits to Costa
Rica, Guatemala, Colombia
and a transit through the Panama
Canal en route to Hawaii.
According
to the CDC, the cruise line alerted the agency of the first cases on
January 29, while the ship was still sailing. The exact cause of the illness
has not yet been identified, and the CDC currently lists it as unknown.
Passengers who reported symptoms were asked to provide stool samples so
officials can test for a possible cause. Lab results are still pending.
While stomach
illnesses on cruise ships are often linked to norovirus, the CDC notes it can
take time to confirm the cause of an outbreak.
In response to
the outbreak, the cruise line took several actions to help contain the spread
of illness, including isolating those who displayed symptoms and intensifying
cleaning and disinfection efforts throughout the ship. The CDC said the ship
followed its required sanitation and outbreak-response protocols.
According to CBS
News, this is the first cruise ship illness outbreak reported by the CDC in
2026. The agency continues to remind travelers that frequent handwashing is one
of the best ways to reduce the risk of getting sick while traveling.
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