WASHINGTON — A norovirus outbreak sickened more than 100 passengers and 9 crewmembers onboard a recently completed Viking Cruises voyage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Around 13% of the ship's 838 passengers reported being ill at some point during the 14-day journey on the Viking Neptune from June 6-June 20, the CDC noted on its website.
The CDC has logged 13 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships so far in 2023, the most in one year since 2012.
Norovirus is a very contagious virus that's typically associated with stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. The CDC defines a norovirus outbreak as “an occurrence of two or more similar illnesses resulting from a common exposure” that is either suspected or confirmed to be caused by norovirus.
Norovirus outbreaks are common, with about 2,500 reported in the U.S. every year. They can happen anytime, but occur most often from November through April, according to the CDC.
As part of the outbreak on the Viking Neptune, the CDC said that crewmembers increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to the ship’s outbreak prevention and response plan. The ship also provided twice daily updates on the number of gastrointestinal illness cases to the agency's Vessel Sanitation Program. Health officers with the federal health agency boarded the Viking Neptune when it made port in New York to also conduct an environmental health assessment.
VERIFY's Megan Loe contributed to this report.