Norovirus Hits Another Cruise Ship

A stomach bug cut into the vacation plans of some Ruby Princess passengers, but it didn't stop the ship from sailing on, SFGate reports. Federal health officials say 102 passengers and 23 crew members on the Princess Cruises ship came down with gastrointestinal illness during a voyage that left San Francisco on June 12 and returned Thursday morning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified norovirus as the cause; the sick accounted for less than 5% of those on board. This is the seventh cruise ship illness outbreak so far this year, most of them norovirus, the AP reports.

Princess Cruises says those affected reported mild symptoms and that extra cleaning measures were rolled out mid-cruise, with cases declining afterward and remaining low, ABC 7 reports. The ship is undergoing what both the company and the Port of San Francisco describe as a thorough disinfection before it departs Pier 35 on schedule for Ketchikan, Alaska. Norovirus, which spreads easily via contaminated food, water, or surfaces, has been circulating in parts of the Bay Area this summer, though current wastewater data show relatively low levels in San Francisco. Health officials advise frequent handwashing with soap and water, noting sanitizer alone isn't very effective against the virus.