Hundreds ill after cruise ship viral outbreak
Sunday, April 13, 2014, 2:54 PM -
Viral outbreaks on several cruise ships lately have passengers and crew members feeling under the weather.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating three suspected norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas saw two of the outbreaks on back-to-back tours. The third was on Princess Cruise's Crown Princess.
More than 350 people aboard the ships were affected, suffering numerous symptoms, including vomiting.
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According to passengers, crew members were doing their best to try and prevent further spread of the virus.
"They were trying to keep everything clean with sanitizing hand cream and stuff like that, but it just wasn't enough," said passenger Kim Serio. "We were constantly cleaning our hands. You couldn't even pick up your own drink, they had to hand you your drink."
Grandeur of the Seas boarding to Bahamas after a norovirus outbreak. Passengers are worried but confident it's clean. pic.twitter.com/KF7Nun1Y5J
— Justin George (@justingeorge) April 12, 2014
Norovirus is highly-contagious and can be picked up through contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces.
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CDC Officials are collecting specimen samples from both ships to send to the lab for testing.
Despite the outbreak on its two previous voyages, the Grandeur of the Sea has already departed again for a seven-night cruise to the Bahamas.
