Over 150 cruise ship passengers fell sick in April with brutal spread of norovirus

More than 150 cruise ship passengers fell sick in April due to two brutal norovirus outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed.

The agency says 94 of 2,532 of the passengers aboard the Sapphire Princess became ill with norovirus, reporting violent diarrhea and vomiting.

Moreover, 20 crew members were also struck by the norovirus, a nasty stomach bug that spreads easily.

The ship is currently taking passengers on a month-long tour of Hawaii and other Pacific islands and has a return date of May 7. It took off from Los Angeles on April 5. 

Meanwhile Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas also experienced a norovirus outbreak, with 67 of 1,993 passengers and two crew members falling ill.

The CDC says 94 of 2,532 of the passengers aboard the Sapphire Princess became ill with norovirus, reporting violent diarrhea and vomiting

Meanwhile Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas also experienced a norovirus outbreak, with 67 of 1,993 passengers and two crew members falling ill. The ship is seen in Canada

Norovirus infections are caused by a group of viruses that spread remarkably easily. It can take as few as 10 viral particles — 'a miniscule amount' — to make someone sick

The ship left Tampa, Florida, on April 8 on its way to Los Angeles via South America.

According to the CDC, both cruise ships isolated the ill passengers and crew.

Moreover, the ships implemented 'increased cleaning and disinfection procedures.'

A spokesperson for Princess Cruises said there had been 'a small number of cases of mild gastrointestinal illness among passengers, the cause likely is the common but contagious virus called Norovirus.'

They added: 'At the first sign of an increase in the numbers of passengers reporting to the medical center with gastrointestinal illness, we immediately initiated additional enhanced sanitization procedures to interrupt the person-to-person spread of this virus.'

The CDC has logged a total of six outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships.

Norovirus infections are caused by a group of viruses that spread remarkably easily.

It can take as few as 10 viral particles — 'a miniscule amount' — to make someone sick.

Norovirus can spread from person to person, in food or water or on contaminated surfaces. Because it’s so contagious, one handshake or a the touch of a contaminated door knob or handrail can be enough to cause illness, experts said. 

Last summer, a norovirus outbreak on board a Celebrity Cruise ship left nearly 200 passengers and crew with severe gastrointestinal illness

Illness caused by norovirus typically starts suddenly - a person can go from slightly unwell to miserable within hours.

It usually lasts two to three days and most people recover fully.

There is no medication to treat norovirus. Dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea is a chief worry, so those most at risk include young children, older people and those with weakened immune systems. 

Last summer, a norovirus outbreak on board a Celebrity Cruise ship left nearly 200 passengers and crew with severe gastrointestinal illness.

The Celebrity Summit departed New Jersey last June on its way to Bermuda before nearly 10 percent on board became ill.

They were left grappling with diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and headaches and they traversed the high seas.

Celebrity Cruises was forced to increase cleaning operations, send stool samples to the CDC laboratory, and encourage strong handwashing skills among guests.