Norovirus outbreak strikes Celebrity cruise ship for third time

A Royal Caribbean Celebrity cruise ship has been ordered to dock in its local Port of Charleston (S.C.) after a third consecutive Norovirus outbreak.

According to a The Post and Courier report from South Carolina, the ship Celebrity Mercury has skipped its port-of-call in the British Virgin Islands following another outbreak. At least 342 of the 1,829 passengers aboard the cruise ship have reported similar symptoms of a Norovirus outbreak.

Two previous voyages have sickened 207 and 419 passengers, respectively. Now, the Centers for Disease Control is telling the cruise company to dock the ship in Charleston for four days until its sanitary condition can be ensured.

The CDC considers its recommendation that the ship not sail one of the last resorts when dealing with such a situation. Investigators continue to look for a source of the outbreaks, but clearly have been unsuccessful and nearly 6,000 passengers have been at risk, with nearly one-sixth of them getting sick.

One possible source is at its port. South Carolina health officials are aware of at least 62 Norovirus outbreaks this year, according to the local report. Seven have been reported in Charleston County, where the cruise ship is docked. These figures are considered much higher than average, so it’s being presumed that someone is contracting the Norovirus before boarding for the cruise.