Gastroenteric illness afflicts 140 on Queen Victoria cruise, Cunard initiates safety protocols

According to a report from the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as cited by CNN, 139 people on the Queen Victoria experienced gastroenteric troubles. The cruise, run by the British company Cunard Cruise Line, currently progress through a three-week part of its grand 107-day world tour.

Among the people affected, 123 are passengers and 16 are crew members, and are suffering from symptoms like diarrhoea and vomiting. The cruise line has isolated those infected and bolstered hygiene and disinfection procedures on board. The exact cause of the illness, however, remains unknown.

"Cunard assures us that only a small number of guests on board Queen Victoria were affected by gastroenteric illness. The moment it was detected, additional health and safety protocols were put into action to safeguard the wellbeing of all guests and crew members. These measures were proven to be effective," the Cunard Cruise Line reported in a statement given to CNN.

The ship, which is home to 1824 passengers and 967 crew members for the tour, kicked off its 107-day world journey on January 11th, setting sail from the port of Southampton, England. The Cunard website states that the next ports of call on the itinerary are San Francisco on February 6th and Honolulu on February 12th, as NBC reports. From there, the ship will continue to Oceania countries.

Source: CNN, NBC