180 Passengers And 24 Crew Suffering With Illness

Over 200 people on board the Crown Princess cruise ship, which docked in Los Angeles earlier this week, have contracted norovirus, according to federal health officials in the US.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vessel Sanitation Programme’s environmental health officers and an epidemiologist boarded the ship to conduct tests, which were found to be positive for norovirus.

Princess Cruises, which operates the ship, said cleaning and disinfection procedures were increased as soon as the first cases were reported, in line with the cruise operator’s outbreak prevention and response plan.

Norovirus is a highly contagious illness and those affected can suffer with nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.

Jatinder Paul, an Associate Solicitor and expert travel lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, who has represented hundreds of passengers affected by illnesses on board cruise ships, said:

Expert Opinion

The reports of such a widescale norovirus outbreak on-board the Crown Princess are extremely concerning. <br/> <br/>“The virus can spread quickly in environments like cruise ships and we have seen from our work that the virus can have a significant impact on the day-to-day lives of those affected and some people may go on to suffer longer-term health complications. <br/> <br/>“The priority now should be providing those affected by the illness with the answers they need concerning the cause of the outbreak and how it was able to spread so quickly through the ship. Jatinder Paul - Partner