Sun, May 17, 2026 page9

• As hantavirus concerns fester, cruises see more stomach disease

  Cruises are seeing decades-high levels of gastrointestinal illness aboard in confined, risky spaces

  • By Annika Inampudi and Ignacio Gonzalez / Bloomberg
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  Stomach bugs on cruise ships hit a nearly two-decade high as more people than ever board the vessels, underscoring how easily viruses spread on contained voyages.

  While cruises are in a global spotlight after a rare hantavirus outbreak killed three people on a cruise ship last month, mild gastrointestinal illnesses are far more common on ships. They have risen for the last four years to the highest since 2007, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program. The data tracks ships with 13 or more passengers with foreign itineraries that dock at one or more US ports.

  The Vessel Sanitation Program tracks the number of gastrointestinal outbreaks that cruise ships report every year, defined as situations when more than 3 percent of people on board have some kind of stomach illness.

  

  The Disney Magic is seen docked Cozumel, Mexico, on March 22.

  Photo: AP

  A new variant of the stealthy norovirus in 2006 led to a sharp increase in outbreaks on ships. They later declined but the number of such outbreaks has risen since the pandemic period and last year reached 23, the highest number since 2007, according to CDC data.

  A new strain was associated with outbreaks on land last year, according to a CDC spokesperson. January through mid-May last year saw the number of stomach flu outbreaks reach 17 on cruise ships, but that number has fallen to four in that same period this year, the spokesperson said.

  Passengers and crew from the MV Hondius are returning home throughout the world after the deadly outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus spread on the ship last month.

  The ship did not dock at a US port, but caught the attention of people across the world.

  The incident brought back memories of the cruise ship quarantined off the coast of Japan in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Most cruises halted voyages during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the industry has rebounded hard. Global cruise passenger volume reached a record 37 million last year, with demand expected to persist into this year, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.

  Health concerns in the past have not dented demand and advance bookings at Carnival Corp and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd are holding up this year, said Jaime Katz, an analyst at Morningstar Inc.

  “There’s an initial hesitation on booking until consumers are able to distill the magnitude of the impact of that outbreak,” she said.

  Carnival and Royal Caribbean did not respond to requests for comment. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd referred questions to the Cruise Lines International Association.

  Cruise ships operate under strict mandatory reporting that makes outbreaks more visible and illness rates on-board remain below hospitality settings on land, the association said in a statement.

  “If you’re going on a cruise, you need to recognize the risk is higher,” said Abraar Karan, an instructor in the division of infectious diseases at Stanford University.

  Dense socializing spaces, as well as shared food and water systems, can accelerate the spread of diseases, while limited medical equipment and staffing make curbing infections harder, he said.

  The average cruise-goer is older and may be more likely to pick up infections, said Karan, who recommends wearing a mask on ships where respiratory illness is found and washing your hands.

  “Cruises are a lot of fun,” he said. “But that’s just part of the trade-off.”
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