Over 300 Passengers and Crew Members Fall Sick on Ruby Princess Cruise Ship
More than 300 passengers and cruise members aboard a Ruby Princess cruise ship voyage have fallen ill, resulting in an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Out of the 2,881 passengers on the cruise, the CDC shared in a news release, 284 became ill, along with 34 of its 1,159 crew members. Vessel Sanitation Program epidemiologists and environmental health officers conducted a field response on Sunday after it docked in Galveston, Texas.
After their initial investigation, predominant symptoms among the ill were discovered to include vomiting and diarrhea.
While it is unknown when the first case was reported, the CDC shared that the voyage began on Feb. 26 and that the cases that have been reported account for the entire cruise trip.
"At the first sign of an increase in the numbers of passengers reporting to the medical center with gastrointestinal illness, we immediately initiated additional enhanced sanitization procedures to interrupt the person-to-person spread of this virus," a representative from Princess Cruises, the company that operates the ship, tells PEOPLE in a statement.
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An investigation has begun into the cause behind the outbreak, along with preliminary response measures that include the collection of stool samples from the sickened passengers and crew members for pathogenic examination.
In response to the outbreak, the Princess Cruises representative adds that the company disinfected high-touch surfaces like railings, door handles, and elevator buttons and encouraged sickened passengers to isolate in their cabins.
Passengers were also provided "regular verbal and written communication about steps they can take to stay well while onboard," the company adds in their statement to PEOPLE, sharing that they believe the outbreak was likely caused by the "common but contagious virus called Norovirus."
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The CDC shares on its website that "norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea."
While the CDC adds that you can get norovirus from an infected person, from contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces, close living quarters found on cruise ships increase the potential for the illness.
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"As an additional precaution, the ship underwent an additional disinfection on March 5 in Galveston ahead of its next departure," Princess Cruises adds in their statement to PEOPLE. "The ship is now on a seven-day western Caribbean cruise, returning to Galveston on March 12."
