Over 100 Sick on Celebrity Equinox

A suspected norovirus outbreak has left 95 passengers and seven crew members suffering from vomiting and diarrhea on Celebrity Equinox.

The Celebrity Cruises’ vessel has 2,896 passengers on board and is returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for sanitization after a 10 day cruise.

Three Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers and one epidemiologist will board the ship to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. 

Specimens are being collected and will be tested by CDC to determine the causative agent for the outbreak.

Earlier this year, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Grandeur of the Seas experienced a norovirus outbreak that saw over 200 people suffering from vomiting and diarrhea.

CDC reports that four episodes of norovirus occurred on Celebrity Cruises’ vessels in 2013 resulting in around 700 people falling ill.

Norovirus is a broad term for a group of related viruses that cause gastroenteritis - inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Norovirus is typically brought on board a cruise ship by someone who is already infected, and the virus can be spread by touching contaminated people, objects or food. People with norovirus are thought to be contagious from the moment they begin feeling sick until several days after they recover.

Norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the U.S. Each year, it causes 19-21 million illnesses and contributes to 56,000-71,000 hospitalizations and 570-800 deaths. Norovirus is also the most common cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks in the U.S.