Gastroenteritis outbreak on a cruise ship, 90 poisoned

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an official statement indicating that 89 passengers and 2 crew members aboard a cruise ship sailing from Tampa, Florida, had contracted gastrointestinal diseases from a yet ‘unknown causative agent.’ The crew on board the vessel collected biological samples from the infected passengers and crew members for testing, and all sick people have been isolated by the health protocols provided by the CDC, particularly the disinfection procedures according to the outbreak prevention and response plan. Media reports have indicated that the affected passengers exhibited symptoms typical of acute gastroenteritis, such as vomiting and diarrhea. According to medical sources, acute gastroenteritis is often contracted through contaminated food or water, and sometimes through contact with other infected people. The CDC has suggested that a potential causative agent could be a strain of norovirus, as detailed in its press release. Currently, stool or vomit samples collected from patients are awaiting confirmatory tests to identify the causative agent.