Gastrointestinal illness outbreak on the vessel operated by P&O Cruises Arcadia claims seventy-five passengers and staff members aboard as fall ill; the cruise line has tightened sanitation but yet to find a cause for the disease outbreak.
According to a report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 75 people-65 passengers and 10 crew members-were found to be infected by an outbreak of gastrointestinal illnesses on the P&O Cruises ship Arcadia.
Vomiting and diarrhea were among the symptoms that were registered during the month-long trip aboard the ship from Southampton, England to the United States and Canada.
Despite its unknown cause, P&O Cruises took swift action for the health and safety of all its passengers with improved sanitation protocols.
According to a cruise company official, it is routine procedure for their fleet to give health advice notices to all the passengers before they board.
Intestinal outbreaks are relatively frequently associated with cruises, but they account for only 1% of all outbreaks reported to the CDC.
According to NYU Langone Health epidemiologist Dr. Sarah E. Hochman, “While such epidemics can certainly happen anywhere within a community, bigger events like cruises tend to attract broader media coverage.”.
The cruise line is closely monitoring this situation while sailing past, making sure that the passengers get the right care and taking proper measures to contain further spreading of sickness.
