70 suffer diarrhea, vomiting on month-long cruise from Singapore to Los Angeles

By Phan Anh November 20, 2024 | 09:33 pm PT

The Coral Princess cruise ship. Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises

70 people on a cruise ship's month-long voyage from Singapore to Los Angeles showed gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting due to a norovirus outbreak.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the norovirus outbreak was first reported on Nov. 9. 70 people among 2,729 passengers and crew members on the Coral Princess, which departed from Singapore on Oct. 17, reported symptoms, The Straits Times reported.

The CDC said the norovirus can spread through contaminated food. Symptoms include fever, headaches and gastrointestinal issues. Certain types of food, including shellfish, may have a higher concentration of norovirus, the center added.

The Coral Princess stopped by Thailand, Vietnam, China and Japan after leaving Singapore, the Daily Mail reported. It arrived in Los Angeles on Nov. 17 to send the affected people back to land, before heading for Miami the same day.

The Princess Cruises, the cruise line of the Coral Princess, said it has cleaned and disinfected the vessel as a response to the norovirus outbreak, the CDC said.