Norovirus

FSN: Norovirus outbreak affects over 80 on Coral Princess as cruise ship cases surge in 2025

A norovirus outbreak sickened more than 80 people aboard Carnival’s Princess Cruises ship Coral Princess during a 16-night voyage that docked in Fort Lauderdale on March 9, 2025, marking the latest in a troubling wave of gastrointestinal illnesses plaguing cruise ships in 2025.

The outbreak, reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 7, affected 69 of the 1,906 passengers and 13 of the 895 crew members, with diarrhea and vomiting as the predominant symptoms.

The Coral Princess departed Los Angeles on Feb. 21, sailing through Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Aruba before reaching its final destination. The CDC identified norovirus — a highly contagious virus notorious for spreading through contaminated food, water and surfaces — as the causative agent. In response, Princess Cruises ramped up cleaning protocols, isolated ill individuals, and collected stool samples for testing, according to a CDC Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) report.

60 sick in Swiss norovirus outbreak

FSN: More than 60 people have fallen sick after eating at a kebab shop in a Swiss municipality.

The Office for Consumer Protection (AVS) closed the kebab shop in Möhlin in Aargau as a precautionary measure earlier this month because of reports of gastrointestinal illnesses. The agency has since received more than 60 reports of illness.

AVS took several samples of food in the establishment and requested leftovers as well as stool samples from infected individuals. Laboratory analyses detected norovirus in stool and cocktail sauce samples.

The shop was temporarily shut after a visit from inspectors. AVS said the business will remain closed until further transmission can be ruled out. Reopening is subject to conditions such as thorough cleaning, disinfection of the outlet and an inspection.