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700 sick on cruise ship

A highly contagious stomach virus sickened more than 700 passengers and crew members during a trans-Atlantic cruise from Rome to Florida.

The Carnival Cruise Lines ship Liberty, carrying 2 804 passengers and 1 166 crew members, began its 16-day voyage on 3 November. Carnival officials said the number of new cases has dropped significantly in the last few days and the ship will complete its cruise, The New York Times reported.

"The majority of affected guests have already recovered," the cruise line said in a statement. It offered a hint about a possible cause of the outbreak.

"After the start of the voyage, it was determined that at least two guests were sick with gastrointestinal illness just prior to the cruise and sought medical treatment in Rome before boarding the ship," Carnival said.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention will send three environmental health experts to the Liberty. The specialists will oversee cleaning of the ship and help pinpoint the outbreak's cause, The Times said. – (HealthDayNews)

Read more:
Staying well aboard ship
Avoid cruise ship illness

November 2006

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