Around 80 people fell ill due to a norovirus outbreak on a Holland America Line cruise. Of the 1,923 passengers aboard the Zuiderdam ship, 74 reported symptoms, along with four crew members, during a trip that started on December 4. The primary symptoms included vomiting and diarrhea.
A Holland America spokesperson stated that the majority of the cases were mild and resolved quickly. To prevent further spread, the cruise line, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), implemented enhanced sanitation measures. Additionally, the ship will undergo thorough cleaning in Fort Lauderdale before its next journey. Guests were informed of updated boarding times to accommodate the extra disinfection process.
The cruise line also took measures to isolate sick passengers and crew, among other actions, according to the CDC.
So far in 2024, the CDC has recorded 12 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruises that met its criteria for public notification. Norovirus was identified as the cause in all but three of these cases.
Although norovirus outbreaks are often linked to cruise ships, these account for only 1% of all reported cases. Dr. Sarah E. Hochman, a hospital epidemiologist and section chief of infectious diseases at NYU Langone Health’s Tisch Hospital, explained that cruise ships aren’t uniquely prone to the illness. “It’s really any type of congregate setting, and norovirus also spreads in smaller settings like households, but those cases often don’t attract as much public health attention as larger outbreaks in communal spaces,” she said.
