An outbreak of an
unidentified gastrointestinal disease has left a total of 154 passengers and
crew members experiencing symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea aboard Cunard’s
Queen Victoria cruise ship, with the cause currently under investigation by the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak was
initially reported on February 1, with the number of cases increasing since
then to encompass a total of 129 passengers and 25 crew members. However, it’s
worth noting that the cumulative total does not represent the number of active
infections at any given time.
The Queen Victoria
departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 22, and is scheduled to dock
in Honolulu on February 12. With 1,824 passengers and 967 crew members on
board, the cruise line is facing challenges in containing the spread of the
illness.
Upon discovering the
outbreak, Cunard implemented and affirms its commitment to continuing enhanced
health and safety protocols. These measures include increased cleaning and
disinfection procedures, isolation of affected individuals, and informing both
current and embarking passengers and crew members about the situation on board.
The CDC's Vessel
Sanitation Program is actively monitoring the situation and assessing the
ship's outbreak response and sanitation protocols. While investigations
continue, the cruise line asserts that its priority remains the health and
wellbeing of all passengers and crew members on board.
"Cunard
confirms that a number of guests had reported symptoms of gastrointestinal
illness on board Queen Victoria on voyage V405 which departed Florida on [Jan.
22] and arrived in San Francisco on [Feb. 7]. They immediately activated their
enhanced health and safety protocols to ensure the wellbeing of all guests and
crew on board, and these measures have been effective," the company said
in a statement given to ABC
News.
According to
cruise tracking website CruiseMapper, the Queen Victoria is in the midst of a
55-day itinerary that will take her around the globe, all the way from Hamburg,
Germany to Sydney, Australia. So, it still has quite a way to go before
reaching its ultimate destination on March 4.
In its initial
report, ABC News noted that this marks the second instance this year of an illness
outbreak aboard a cruise ship. The first occurred in January, when 100
people got sick aboard Celebrity Constellation, likewise exhibiting
symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. The CDC ultimately determined the culprit in
that case to be norovirus, a gastrointestinal disease that also accounted for most
of the 14 outbreaks of illness aboard cruise ships seen last year.
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