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CDC reports another sick ship
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Thursday 114 passengers and three crew members aboard the cruise ship Oceana have become sick with a gastrointestinal illness. Most of the ill passengers reportedly were on the same flight from England before boarding the cruise ship in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the CDC said in a written statement, and all of the 1,859 passengers on the ship flew chartered aircraft from Britain.
The Oceana left Fort Lauderdale November 29 and is scheduled to return December 13, said a spokeswoman for P&O Cruises, the company that owns the ship. She said some passengers complained of stomach sickness on the first day of the cruise. The ship is currently in the Caribbean and CDC staff will board the vessel this week to conduct interviews with ill passengers and crew, the CDC said. At that time, the CDC will conduct an environmental assessment and collect samples for analysis to determine the cause of the outbreak. Norwalk-like virus has been the culprit in most of the recently reported incidences of gastrointestinal illness aboard cruise ships. The virus can be transmitted person-to-person or by consuming contaminated food or water. Passengers and crew onboard four consecutive cruises of Holland America's Amsterdam and on two cruises of Disney's Magic were sickened by that virus. Norwalk is suspected in a recent outbreak aboard Carnival's Fascination as well. A ship-board lab determined that salmonella bacteria caused a recent outbreak of stomach illness on the Seven Seas Mariner, but the CDC has yet to confirm that finding. Salmonella is a food-borne illness with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. On November 29, the Oceana underwent a routine, unannounced inspection, scoring 95 out of 100 points, the CDC said. --CNN National Correspondent Susan Candiotti contributed to this report.
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