The Princes Cruise ship, Coral Princess arrived in Fort Lauderdale today with 152 passengers and 24 crew stricken with norovirus symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the code red was implemented when 7.54% of the total passengers onboard were affected and 2.72% of the crew personnel. A CDC environmental health officer boarded the cruise ship in Ft. Lauderdale on March 18 in order to conduct an environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak on board. This is the first cruise ship in 2017, sailing in US port, to be affected by norovirus.

In response to the outbreak, the cruise line and the Coral Princess crew implemented the following procedures in order to prevent the spread of the virus:

• -Increased cleaning and disinfection in all public areas according to the outbreak prevention plan.
• -Collecting stool samples for testing from passenger and crew affected by the gastrointestinal illness.
• -Making daily reports of gastrointestinal illness cases to VSP.
• -Consulting with CDC on plans for comprehensive sanitation procedures when the ship arrives in Ft. Lauderdale, on March 18, 2017.

Coral Princess was on 10 Night Panama Canal with Costa Rica & Caribbean voyage when the suspected norovirus outbreak was reported.