Major gastro outbreak strikes cruise ship docked in Brisbane
A major gastro outbreak has been detected on the Sun Princess, a cruise ship that is currently docked in Brisbane, with nearly 100 passengers affected.
A spokeswoman from Metro North Public Health Unit confirmed that it was aware of at least 91 separate cases of gastro, telling News.com.au, “We have been advised that on-board testing has found norovirus to be the cause of the illness.”
Carnival Cruises, the line the operates the Sun Princess, issued a statement confirming the first case of gastro was reported on day one of the 10-day South Pacific cruise.
“Consistent with current public health alerts that norovirus and influenza are widespread in the general community in NSW, Victoria and Queensland respectively, proactive and successful steps were taken on board Sun Princess to limit any spread of the illness,” the statement read.
“Out of an abundance of caution, deep cleansing was conducted on the ship and in the terminal for the ship’s turnaround in Brisbane today resulting in a slight delay in the ship’s scheduled departure.”
The Sun Princess, which famously suffered back to back gastro outbreaks in February, can carry 2,010 passengers and 924 crew.
Have you ever felt sick on a cruise?