When the Cunard Queen Victoria cruise ship arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Jan. 22, nearly 140 people had been affected by a gastrointestinal illness. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 123 passengers and 16 crew members reported being sick during a three-week part of the voyage. The total number of people onboard the ship is around 1,800 passengers and 960 crew members. The main symptoms of the illness are diarrhea and vomiting, and the cause of the outbreak is currently unknown.RecommendedThe Queen Victoria is on a 107-night global voyage and is planned to make stops in San Francisco on Feb. 6 and Honolulu on Feb. 12, before traveling to countries in Oceania, as stated on the Cunard website. In response to the outbreak, the crew of the Queen Victoria has reportedly intensified cleaning and disinfection procedures and isolated affected passengers and crew. Cunard Cruise Line informed NBC News that “a small number of guests had reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness on board Queen Victoria.” They immediately put in place their enhanced health and safety protocols to ensure the well-being of all guests and crew. They added that these measures have been effective. The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program is monitoring the situation remotely, which includes reviewing the ship’s outbreak response and sanitation measures. Medical staff on cruise ships under U.S. jurisdiction are required to report cases of gastrointestinal illness to the Vessel Sanitation Program when at least two percent of people onboard are infected. Katherine ItohKatherine Itoh is a news associate for NBC News.
