A gastrointestinal sickness outbreak is working rampant via an Alaskan expedition ship — with a 3rd of the ship’s passengers affected by the virus — and marking the third such outbreak aboard the vessel since late Could, well being officers warned.
The outbreak was reported July 12 aboard the Nationwide Geographic Sea Hen, two days after the ship departed Sitka and three days earlier than its scheduled arrival in Juneau on July 15, the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) reported.
The CDC stated 18 of the ship’s 62 passengers had been struck down by the abdomen bug, experiencing “vomiting [and] stomach cramps.”
In an effort to comprise the outbreak, the ship’s crew remoted the sick passengers and ramped up “cleansing and disinfection procedures based on their outbreak prevention and response plan,” officers stated.
The supply of the outbreak remains to be unknown, the CDC stated.
“VSP is remotely monitoring the state of affairs, together with overview of the ship’s outbreak response and sanitation procedures,” well being officers stated in an announcement.
Officers stated those that fell unwell have been requested to supply “stool or vomitus samples” to assist establish the supply of the outbreak.
“Samples are pending confirmatory testing,” VSP stated.
The newest outbreak marks the third time the 152-foot-long ship, operated by Lindblad Expeditions, has been hit with a gastrointestinal sickness outbreak since late Could, based on the VSP.
Of the eight cruise ship outbreaks reported at US ports in 2026, the Sea Hen is the one vessel to have been hit greater than as soon as, VSP added.
The ship beforehand reported an outbreak throughout a Could 26-31 voyage, when 9 passengers and three crew members fell unwell, the CDC reported.
Weeks later, 20 of 95 individuals aboard fell unwell throughout a June 25-30 journey between Juneau and Ketchikan.
In each prior outbreaks, well being officers cited norovirus because the trigger.
Norovirus is a extremely contagious abdomen bug that strikes quick and arduous — triggering sudden, extreme vomiting and watery diarrhea. Regardless of being generally known as the “abdomen flu,” it’s unrelated to the influenza virus, the CDC stated.
The Publish has reached out to Lindblad Expeditions for remark.
The Sea Hen’s repeated outbreaks are removed from the one cruise-related well being scare to make headlines this yr.
In April, a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius attracted worldwide consideration after being linked to a few passenger deaths.
In Could, the Caribbean Princess was hit with a norovirus outbreak that sickened greater than 100 individuals, based on the CDC.
The Sea Hen’s newest norovirus troubles come on the heels of one other alarming US outbreak that put a fast-food diner within the emergency room with explosive diarrhea after ordering a brand new menu merchandise at Taco Bell.
Medical doctors later recognized the client with cyclosporiasis, a fast-spreading intestinal sickness that’s been linked to tainted iceberg lettuce.
Since then, practically 7,000 individuals throughout 34 states have been sickened by the outbreak, which well being officers have largely linked to contaminated lettuce produced by Taylor Farms and served at Taco Bell.
The epidemic has led to 94 hospitalizations however no deaths, the CDC stated.
