Norovirus sickens 172 on Pacific cruise ship

More than 170 passengers and crew on a US cruise ship in the Pacific have contracted Norovirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported today.

The highly-contagious stomach virus infected 158 of 3,009 passengers and 14 of 1,160 crewmembers, the CDC said in an investigation report.

This is the second time Princess Cruises' 3,0080-passenger "Crown Princess" has had an outbreak of Norovirus this year. More than 150 passengers caught the virus during a cruise in April.

The ship has docked near Los Angeles and the cruise line is conducting a cleaning of the vessel and consulting with the CDC on sanitation procedures, the report said.
 

A CDC health officer will board the ship to evaluate the outbreak and response today.

The vacation cruise ship is finishing a month-long Pacific journey.

The cruise line was not immediately available for comment today.