70 stricken with gastrointestinal illness on month-long cruise

Seventy people on a Princess Cruises vessel suffered diarrhoea and vomiting, among other symptoms, during a month-long voyage from Singapore to Los Angeles.

- Fatimah Mujibah

Of the 1,822 passengers onboard the Coral Princess, some 55 of them reported being ill.

In a statement on its website, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the cause of the outbreak, which was first reported on Nov 9, was the norovirus.

Another 15 of the 907 crew members on board the ship, which departed on Oct 17, experienced similar symptoms.

On its website, the CDC said the norovirus can spread via contaminated food and can affect people of all ages. Other symptoms include fever, headaches and body aches, and severe cases can require hospitalisation.