Cruise ship hit with third stomach illness outbreak in two months, review underway
Health officials have reported a gastrointestinal illness outbreak aboard an Alaska cruise ship, marking the vessel's third stomach bug outbreak in about two months.The National Geographic Sea Bird, operated by Lindblad Expeditions, was the subject of a July 15 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP). The CDC said the outbreak aboard the trip was reported July 12 — halfway through its July 10 to July 15 voyage from Sitka to Juneau, Alaska.STOMACH BUGS SURGING AS DOCTORS SAY CERTAIN TRAVEL ESSENTIALS COULD SAVE YOUR TRIPThe latest incident marks the third gastrointestinal illness outbreak reported aboard the ship since late May, according to the VSP.In the most recent outbreak, 18 of the ship's 62 passengers — or nearly a third of those aboard — reported being ill.Health officials reported the third gastrointestinal illness outbreak in about two months aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird, pictured above, during its July Alaska voyage.(Nano Calvo/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)The predominant symptoms were "vomiting [and] abdominal cramps," the report said.
As of Monday, the source of the outbreak is unknown. Officials reported that the ship's crew isolated the ill passengers and crew.Officials also increased "cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan."CRUISE TIPPING CHARGES ARE 'OUT OF CONTROL,' SAY PASSENGERS AS COMPANIES TOUT 'EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE'"VSP is remotely monitoring the situation, including review of the ship's outbreak response and sanitation procedures," the statement added.The CDC said the cause of the outbreak remains unknown, though norovirus is a common cause of gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships."Finding the agent that caused an outbreak can take time.""Finding the agent that caused an outbreak [meaning the causative agent] can take time," said the VSP.
"When an outbreak occurs, people whose symptoms [me...