100 Sickened by Norovirus During Cruise Ending in San Diego

Federal health officials say 95 passengers and five crewmembers aboard the Celebrity Infinity cruise ship have been sickened by the gastrointestinal illness norovirus and a second ship with sick passengers will also be inspected when it docks in San Diego Tuesday. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an environmental health officer and an epidemiologist will investigate the outbreak when the ship arrives in San Diego on Monday.

Passengers onboard the Royal Caribbean's "Legend of the Seas" will also be checked out when the cruise ship docks in San Diego Tuesday. 

More than 100 passengers and two crew members are reportedly sick on the boat, according to the CDC. It is unclear whether they also have norovirus. 

In a statement, Celebrity Cruises said that over the course of the trip, 99 guests and one crew member fell ill, thought to be norovirus. Those affected were treated by over-the-counter medication, according to the statement. 

"During the sailing, we took a number of steps to prevent the transmission of the illness, including implementing enhanced cleaning procedures and protocols, and using special cleaning products and disinfectants that are proven to kill norovirus to clean throughout the ship," the statement said. 

The CDC says staff on the Infinity stepped up cleaning and disinfection procedures in response to the outbreak.

When the ship docked, the statement said, they began sanitizing onboard and within the cruise terminal to prevent further illness. 

Symptoms of norovirus include vomiting, diarrhea, fever and body aches. According to the CDC, most people recover within three days.

The Infinity is concluding a 15-night cruise. The Celebrity website says the ship regularly travels through the Panama Canal and to Alaska.

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