Norovirus sickens over 200 cruise ship passengers on month-long voyage
More than 200 cruise ship passengers were infected with norovirus on a transatlantic voyage that is currently still at sea.
The illnesses occurred on the Cunard cruise line ship Queen Mary 2, which departed Southampton in the U.K. on March 8.
The ship traveled to New York and to several islands in the Eastern Caribbean, according to Cunard’s website.
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Out of the total 2,538 passengers, 224 became ill with the virus. Seventeen crew members were also affected, as stated in an alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Diarrhea and vomiting were the primary symptoms reported. All sick passengers have been isolated, the announcement noted.
The ship is expected to return to Southampton on Sunday, April 6.
Cunard has increased its cleaning and disinfection procedures in response to the outbreak, according to the CDC.
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The cruise line has also collected stool specimens from sick passengers for testing.
"VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) is remotely monitoring the situation, including review of the ship's outbreak response and sanitation procedures," the CDC stated.
Norovirus, also known as food poisoning or the stomach bug, is a highly contagious virus that causes inflammation of the stomach or intestines, per the CDC.
"Norovirus, also known as Norwalk-like virus, is a leading cause of gastroenteritis in the U.S.," Dr. Amber Charoen, a board-certified gastroenterologist with Gastro Health in Kennewick, Washington, previously told Fox News Digital.
"It can spread with as few as 10 particles through contaminated food, vomit, stool and even person-to-person contact."
The highly contagious virus can also spread via contaminated surfaces, utensils or foods.
"The combination of indoor spaces, close contact and crowding is why norovirus thrives in environments like schools, day cares and cruise ships," Chad D. Neilsen, MPH, director of Infection Prevention and Control at Nemours Children's Health in Florida, previously told Fox News Digital.
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"Once an outbreak starts, it’s challenging to control it without public health and sanitation expertise."
While it is often referred to as a "stomach flu" or "stomach bug," norovirus is not related to influenza.
"Symptoms of norovirus vary, but those infected tend to have a mix of low-grade fever, chills, vomiting, headache, muscle aches and fatigue," Baum said.
"In addition, norovirus outbreaks typically produce nausea (more often in children), watery diarrhea (more often in adults) and stomach cramps."
There is no specific medicine to treat norovirus, according to Baum.
Nielsen previously shared with Fox News Digital that norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illnesses in the U.S., causing about 20 million cases each year.
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Norovirus is responsible for about 109,000 hospitalizations and 900 deaths each year in the U.S., mostly affecting adults over 65 years old, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).
About one in 15 Americans will get norovirus annually, and one out of 160 children will be hospitalized.
The best defense against norovirus is to wash hands frequently, identify symptoms early and isolate if sick, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst.
The CDC also recommends washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly and washing laundry in hot water, if possible.
"There is no treatment except to stay well-hydrated," he told Fox News Digital. "[It] generally lasts around three days."
Neilsen agreed that most people will recover from norovirus in one to three days without any treatment, but others could experience more severe symptoms like dehydration, which "could require medical attention."
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The CDC recommends drinking plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration and to seek medical care if it becomes severe.
Fox News Digital reached out to Cunard requesting additional comment.