The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness aboard a P&O Cruises ship, affecting both passengers and crew members. The illness, which has led to symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, has yet to be confirmed as norovirus. The CDC boarded the ship when it docked in New York to evaluate the situation and investigate further.

The P&O Arcadia, currently sailing a round-trip Transatlantic voyage from Southampton to the U.S. and Canada, reported that 65 passengers (3.32% of the 1,959 onboard) and 10 crew members (1.25% of the 799 crew) experienced symptoms of the illness. In response, P&O Cruises implemented enhanced health measures to manage the outbreak.

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said, “Upon embarkation, all guests were provided with an advisory notice outlining precautionary health measures for both onboard and onshore activities, as is standard procedure across our fleet.” In addition to these initial precautions, the cruise line swiftly ramped up sanitation protocols in response to the outbreak.

According to the CDC, P&O Cruises and the ship’s crew initiated the following actions:
•    Enhanced Sanitation: The ship's crew implemented heightened cleaning and disinfection procedures as part of their outbreak prevention plan.
•    Onboard Announcements: Passengers and crew were informed about the outbreak and encouraged to report any symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. Good hygiene practices, such as frequent handwashing, were also strongly promoted.
•    Specimen Collection: Stool samples from affected individuals were collected to aid in identifying the cause of the illness.

The Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) is currently conducting a field response to carry out an environmental assessment and support the ship’s outbreak management efforts.
This outbreak is one of several gastrointestinal illness reported on cruise ships this year. This year CDC recorded nine oubreaks on cruise ships.