CDC Investigates Gastrointestinal Illness Outbreak on Luxury Cruise Ship

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating a gastrointestinal illness outbreak that sickened 27 people, including 21 passengers and 6 crew members, aboard a Regent Seven Seas Cruises ship during a voyage from Miami to Honolulu from January 11 to February 1. The cruise line notified the CDC of the illnesses and the agency listed the cause as unknown, though norovirus is often associated with such outbreaks on cruise ships.

Why it matters

Gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships can be disruptive to passengers' vacations and raise public health concerns. The CDC closely monitors these types of incidents to identify the cause and prevent the spread of illness, as well as to ensure cruise lines are following proper protocols to limit the impact.

The details

The outbreak occurred on the Regent Seven Seas Cruises' ship Seven Seas Marin, which had 631 passengers on board at the time. The cruise line took steps to limit the spread of illness, including increased cleaning, disinfection, and isolating those reporting symptoms. The CDC asked passengers who fell ill to provide stool samples for testing to determine the cause, though the results were still pending.

• The cruise departed Miami on January 11 and was sailing to Honolulu.
• The outbreak occurred during the voyage from January 11 to February 1.

What’s next

The CDC is continuing to investigate the cause of the gastrointestinal illness outbreak and is awaiting the results of laboratory testing on stool samples provided by sickened passengers.