More than 100 sickened on Disney Wonder cruise ship
outbreak of gastrointestinal illness occurred aboard the Disney Wonder last week, and more than 100 people have become sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC originally reported 97 illnesses. Monday, that number climbed to 145 people. Almost 5 percent of passengers — 131 people — fell ill, while 14 of 991 crew members were sick.
Vomiting and diarrhea were the predominant symptoms, the CDC reported.
A cause has not been determined. A CDC officer boarded the ship when it returned to Miami on Sunday from a cruise to Nassau, Key West and Castaway Cay.
“Our primary focus was on taking care of our guests and crew,” Disney Cruise Line said in a statement. “We have a comprehensive plan that outlines protocols for managing this kind of situation and closely follow CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of common stomach-related illnesses.”
Disney Cruise Line and the crew told the CDC they have increased cleaning and disinfection procedures and collected stool samples for testing. Passengers on the Wonder cruise that left Sunday for a 14-day Panama Canal cruise will also not be able to serve themselves at buffets. Instead, cast members will serve the food.
Disney said the Wonder has gotten a 99 out of 100 on the past three CDC inspections. Disney Cruise Line’s regular precautions include handing guests hand wipes as they enter dining areas. Sanitizer stations are found throughout the ships.
Disney said it is handling refunds and credits on a case-by-case basis.
The CDC has reported nine other outbreaks on different cruise lines this year. Most of the causes were norovirus.
The previous time a serious outbreak was reported on a Disney ship was in 2002. Then, hundreds were sickened on two Disney Magic cruises out of Port Canaveral.
“Disney is one of the few cruise lines which do not routinely suffer from gastrointestinal outbreaks,” maritime lawyer Jim Walker wrote on a blog about the incident.