Norovirus sickens 172 on Pacific cruise ship

WASHINGTON, United States – More than 170 passengers and crew on a US cruise ship in the Pacific have contracted Norovirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Sunday.

The highly-contagious stomach virus infected 158 of 3,009 passengers and 14 of 1,160 crewmembers, the CDC said in an investigation report.

This is the second time Princess Cruises’ 3,0080-passenger “Crown Princess” has had an outbreak of Norovirus this year. More than 150 passengers caught the virus during a cruise in April.

The ship has docked near Los Angeles and the cruise line is conducting a cleaning of the vessel and consulting with the CDC on sanitation procedures, the report said.

A CDC health officer will board the ship to evaluate the outbreak and response Sunday.

The vacation cruise ship is finishing a 28-day journey from Los Angeles to Hawaii and Tahiti.

Princess Cruises told AFP the ship will undergo an “extensive deep cleaning” before it makes its next trip.

The Crown Princess is scheduled to go to Mexico on November 29.