The US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed yet another norovirus outbreak on board a cruise ship, bringing the total number of such outbreaks to 21 this year.
The latest outbreak was reported aboard the AIDAdiva cruise ship, operated by Aida Cruises.
The CDC's report said that the virus affected 95 passengers and 6 crew members on board AIDAdiva, who exhibited symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting. There were a total of 2,007 passengers and 640 crew members on the ship.
Aida Cruises, in response to the outbreak, told the CDC that it had increased cleaning and disinfection efforts across the ship. It also isolated sick passengers and crew, and collected stool samples for testing.
“Seasonal illness peaks between November and April, and the AIDAdiva report reflects infection patterns on land,” a spokesperson for the cruise liner told USA Today, adding, "Therefore, we’ve added more hygiene protocols onboard, and cases are already going down."
Which other ships reported outbreaks earlier this year?
The outbreak on board the AIDAdiva is the latest to have been reported to the CDC, with the last such outbreak taking place on board Oceania Cruises vessel Oceania Insignia in October.
Prior to that, 19 more outbreaks were reported in 2025. They are as follows:
Norovirus infection: Risk factors, symptoms
Also known as the Norwalk virus, norovirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis and is sometimes also referred to as the winter vomiting disease.
Norovirus transmission typically takes place by the fecal-oral route, and could take place through contaminated food, water or even person-to-person contact, and risk factors include unsanitary food preparation and close contact with infected individuals.
Norovirus infections can also spread through contaminated surfaces or through the air that comes in contact with the vomit of an infected person.
Symptoms of norovirus infection typically include non-bloody diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach pain. In some cases, fever or headaches may also be experienced.
These symptoms usually develop over 24 hours after exposure, while recovery typically takes two to three days.
