Cruise Ship Illness: Why Are Ships So Prone to Norovirus Outbreaks?

Gastrointestinal outbreaks relatively common on cruise ships

For nearly 600 people sickened during a Royal Caribbean International cruise to the Caribbean, their vacation has been no day at the beach.

About a fifth of the 3,050 people aboard Explorer of the Seas, which left Cape Liberty, New Jersey, on January 21 for a ten-day cruise, have come down with a gastrointestinal illness. Due to the outbreak, the ship cut the cruise two days short and returned to New Jersey, according to news reports.

Gastrointestinal outbreaks are relatively common on cruise ships. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 14 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships in 2010 and 2011, 16 in 2012, and 9 in 2013.

Though the number of news reports on cruise ship illnesses could make it seem like such outbreaks are on the rise, they're not any more prevalent than in the 1990s and 2000s.

Instead, "People are more aware of it because of the media and better diagnostic techniques," says Michael Zimring, director of the Center for Wilderness and Travel Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

Norovirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in the U.S., with between 19 to 21 million cases a year and more than 56,00 hospitalizations.

Once an infected person gets onboard a ship, the virus can be spread quickly, mainly through hand contact with ship railings, bathroom doors, and especially buffet food, said Zimring.

Norovirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in the U.S., with between 19 to 21 million cases a year and more than 56,00 hospitalizations.

Once an infected person gets onboard a ship, the virus can be spread quickly, mainly through hand contact with ship railings, bathroom doors, and especially buffet food, said Zimring.

Read more: Cruise Ship Illness: Why Are Ships So Prone to Norovirus Outbreaks?