More people experienced gastrointestinal illness while on a cruise ship in 2024 than in any year since 2012, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC reported that: 16 occurrences of gastric disease Last year, 1,894 passengers and 245 crew members were injured on a cruise ship. Data shows there were 16 gastroenteritis outbreaks in 2012, but illnesses on board ships have plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This decline occurred after the cruise ship industry was shut down for more than a year and then reopened with limited production capacity and more cleaning protocols in place. The Washington Post reported.
Five of the cruise ship outbreaks occurred in December alone, according to CDC data. These outbreaks sickened 781 passengers and 109 crew members, most of whom experienced diarrhea and vomiting.
In three of the five outbreaks, norovirus, a highly contagious virus that causes stomach illness, was the primary cause, officials reported. According to CDC data, 14 of the 16 outbreaks Caused by norovirus Meanwhile, the other two are caused by Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica.
The CDC also noted that norovirus cases continue to rise across the United States, with the agency saying most cases of the virus are seen between November and April. But federal health officials have warned that new cases of the virus could be confirmed at any time.
Norovirus causes an average of 19 million to 21 million illnesses and more than 100,000 hospitalizations each year, the newspaper said. Health experts told the outlet that virus transmission could be more widespread in the crowded, semi-enclosed environments often found on cruise ships.
The CDC found that from 2006 to 2019, an average of 12 gastrointestinal illness outbreaks occurred on cruise ships.
