Norovirus Outbreak Suspected on Princess Cruises

div itemprop="articleBody" class="article">Los Angeles, CAOver three dozen people who are ill onboard Princess Cruises Crown Princess may have the highly contagious Norovirus. When reports of the outbreak broke, the cruise ship was at the beginning of a seven day California cruise which began in Los Angeles on Saturday and will call into various ports on the California coast before heading home to Los Angeles.

According to Princess Cruises spokeswoman Karen Candy, about 37 passengers on the Crown Princess reported being sick while the ship was in San Francisco on Monday.

Candy told the Associated Press on Tuesday that cruise officials believe the cause of the illness is the Norovirus. Candy says the ship’s staff began intense disinfecting of surfaces, and all sick passengers are being encouraged to remain in their rooms.

Norovirus is spread person-to-person and symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramping.