More than 130 suffer stomach virus on Mexican cruise

Associated Press
SAN DIEGO - More than 130 people who suffered stomach illnesses aboard a Mexican cruise are back in the United States, officials said Tuesday.

The Celebrity Cruises' Mercury ship docked in San Diego Monday after 107 passengers and 24 crew members experienced "gastrointestinal illness" believed to be the norovirus, a contagious stomach virus, according to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the ship operator.

Royal Caribbean, based in Miami, said the illnesses were "short-lived" and that passengers and crew responded well to over-the-counter medication that was administered on board.

No one was hospitalized, said Irene McCormack, a spokeswoman for the San Diego Unified Port District.

The 10-day cruise sailed from San Diego on March 17 and stopped in the Mexican ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Acapulco, Ixtapa and Puerto Vallarta before returning to San Diego as scheduled. There were 1,976 passengers and 841 crew members on the ship.

A passenger apparently brought the virus on board, exposing other passengers, Royal Caribbean said.

The norovirus infection is spread by people who don't properly wash their hands after using the bathroom, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms, which usually last 24 to 48 hours, include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Last week, 142 cruise ship passengers sickened by the norovirus during a Hawaii cruise returned to San Diego. The passengers reported getting sick shortly after Holland America Line Inc.'s Amsterdam ship left San Diego March 7.