Outbreak: Cruise ship quarantined in Virginia

NORFOLK, VA – CDC reports that a cruise ship, operated by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, has been quarantined at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center at Nauticus in Norfolk, due to an outbreak of

NORFOLK, VA – CDC reports that a cruise ship, operated by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, has been quarantined at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center at Nauticus in Norfolk, due to an outbreak of norovirus.

According to CDC, 153 passengers and 6 crew members of Fred Olsen Cruise’s Balmoral have reported vomiting and diarrhea symptoms during the ship’s voyage.


CDC reports that the crews on board the ship responded with the following actions:

•Increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan

•Collecting stool specimens from passenger and crew gastrointestinal illness cases for testing

•Making multiple daily reports of gastrointestinal illness cases to the VSP

•Sent public health and sanitation manager from the cruise line corporate office to oversee and assist with implementation of the sanitation and outbreak response procedures

Virginia Department of Health official stated the department is not responding because it is outside of its jurisdiction.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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