An outbreak of an unknown intestinal illness occurred on board the Cunard cruise ship Queen Victoria, causing sudden vomiting and diarrhea in 154 passengers and crew.
According to Travel Pulse, the cause of the illness is currently under investigation by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The first symptoms were recorded on February 1, then the number of cases began to grow rapidly. And to date, 129 passengers and 25 crew members have fallen ill. However, it is worth noting that this number includes the number of infections currently active.
Queen Victoria departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 22 and is scheduled to arrive in Honolulu on February 12. There are 1,824 passengers and 967 crew members on board. Cunard has implemented enhanced health and safety protocols, including enhanced cleaning and disinfection, isolating sick people, and keeping all passengers and crew informed of the situation on board.
According to CruiseMapper, a website that tracks cruises, the Queen Victoria is on a 55-day voyage around the world, starting in Hamburg, Germany, and ending in Sydney, Australia. The liner still has to cover a long distance to its final destination, where it will arrive on March 4.
It is noted that this is the second case of mass infection on a cruise ship this year. The first was reported in January, when 100 people aboard the Celebrity Constellation fell ill, with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. The CDC determined the illness was then caused by norovirus, an intestinal infection that also caused most of the 14 outbreaks on cruise ships last year.