It wasn't exactly smooth sailing for nearly 100 people aboard a Holland America Line cruise ship, as the voyage that departed from Fort Lauderdale was struck by a norovirus outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that the Rotterdam, which set sail on December 28 and returned last Friday, was the vessel where passengers and crew members fell ill exhibiting symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, WSVN reports.
In response to the outbreak, Holland America Line enforced increased disinfection measures throughout the ship and quarantined those affected, an attempt to contain the highly contagious virus, according to The Miami Herald. A total of 81 passengers and 8 crew members reported their illness to medical staff onboard, which, the CDC highlights is crucial as it helps detect and manage outbreaks more swiftly, unfortunately, the speed of the response often matters less once the virus has begun to spread in the enclosed cruise ship environment.
Holland America Cruise Line, sticking with the outbreak prevention and response plan, took stool samples for testing and isolated the sick individuals to rain in the spread of the virus. Notably, cruise ships have a mandate to report such cases to the CDC given that gastrointestinal illness, an umbrella term for conditions like acute gastroenteritis, can quickly become a concern on these floating hotels.
The CDC says early reporting of symptoms by passengers and crew can help detect outbreaks quickly. Cruise travelers are urged to report seasickness or other illnesses promptly, or risk turning their trip into a quarantine, as seen in a recent incident on the Rotterdam.
