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\n81 passengers and eight crew members were sickened by a norovirus outbreak on Holland America Line\u2019s Rotterdam ship\u00a0The outbreak was reported during the ship\u2019s recent sailing from Dec. 28 to Jan. 9, starting in Fort Lauderdale and making stops in Cura\u00e7ao, Panama, Costa Rica and moreWhen it returned to the port in Fort Lauderdale, the cruise line \u201cconducted a comprehensive sanitization of the ship,\u201d they told PEOPLE in a statement<\/p>\n
Nearly 90 people aboard Holland America Line\u2019s Rotterdam ship were sickened with norovirus on a recent sailing.\n<\/p>\n
According to a report<\/a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 81 of 2,593 passengers \u201creported being ill during the voyage,\u201d as well as eight of the 1,005 crew members on board. The voyage dates stated on the report are Sunday, Dec. 28 to Friday, Jan. 9.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Crew and passengers’ predominant symptoms were listed as diarrhea and vomiting, with the \u201ccausative agent\u201d being norovirus. The outbreak was reported to the CDC\u2019s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) on Thursday, Jan. 8.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Holland America Line’s ‘Rotterdam’ ship.<\/p>\n Jens B\u00fcttner\/picture alliance via Getty<\/p>\n The Rotterdam departed from Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 28 and made stops in Cura\u00e7ao, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Jamaica before returning to its home port, according to data tracked by CruiseMapper<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Per the CDC report, the \u201cVSP is remotely monitoring the situation,\u201d as well as reviewing \u201cthe ship’s outbreak response and sanitation procedures.\u201d\n<\/p>\n In response to the outbreak, the cruise line consulted with the VSP regarding proper sanitation procedures and reporting cases. Crew aboard the ship also \u201cisolated ill passengers and crew, increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, and collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing,\u201d per the report.\n<\/p>\n In a statement shared with PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the cruise line said: \u201cDuring its previous voyage, a number of guests onboard Rotterdam reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. The cases were mostly mild and quickly resolved.\u201d\n<\/p>\n The statement added, \u201cThe health of our guests and crew is a top priority and consistent with CDC protocols, we conducted a comprehensive sanitization of the ship when the cruise ended Friday in Fort Lauderdale.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Stock image of a person washing their hands.<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n In December, PEOPLE reported there was a surge in norovirus cases in the U.S.<\/a> ahead of the holiday season. While hand washing can prevent the virus, it can\u2019t be killed by hand sanitizer alone.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, previously told Today<\/a>: “It’s a devilish virus because it can spread in so many ways, and it is so highly contagious.”\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The virus commonly spreads in close quarters, which is why outbreaks often occur in dorms and on cruise ships.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n