Norovirus Outbreak Sickens Over 70 Passengers and Crew on Royal Caribbean Cruise

More than 70 people have fallen ill following a gastrointestinal illness outbreak on a cruise ship.

A reported 71 passengers and one crew member traveling on the Royal Caribbean International ship Serenade of the Seas were sick following the outbreak, which was reported on Sunday, Sept. 28, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The 13-night cruise departed from San Diego on Sept. 19 and is scheduled to arrive at its final stop in Miami on Thursday, Oct. 2, per Cruise Mapper.

A total of 3.9% of those onboard were infected, per the CDC. The outbreak has been caused by norovirus and the predominant symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting.

The sick passengers and crew member have been isolated, according to the CDC.

“Reporting gastrointestinal illness (GI) is important. When passengers and crew tell the medical center onboard about their symptoms, it helps GI illness outbreaks get detected quickly,” the organization said. “This allows steps to be taken to limit the spread of illness.”

The Royal Caribbean Group said in a statement to USA Today, “The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority. To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines.”

In response to the outbreak, Royal Caribbean “increased cleaning and disinfection procedures,” isolated the sick and collected stool samples, the CDC said.

Per the release, the cruise ship also consulted with the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) that is run by CDC “about sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting ill cases.”

“VSP is remotely monitoring the situation, including review of the ship’s outbreak response and sanitation procedures,” the CDC said.

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So far this year, 19 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruises were reported to the CDC, 14 of which were caused by norovirus, USA Today reported.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Royal Caribbean International for comment.