More than 250 cruise ship passengers in the United Kingdom have fallen ill from suspected norovirus.
Norovirus, also known as “the vomiting bug,” is a highly contagious illness that causes vomiting and diarrhea.
Of those guests, more than 150 cruise ship passengers aboard P&O’s MS Ventura ship are isolated. The ship left the U.K.’s Southampton area on May 11 for a 14-night cruise journeying through the Canary Islands, according to Metro UK.
One source told Metro UK that passengers were “throwing up in public spaces” on board.
A P&O spokesperson told Business Insider that there were many reports of guests with “gastrointestinal symptoms” aboard the ship.
In the U.S., the risk of getting norovirus is about 1 in 15 each year. A passenger on a cruise ship, however, has a 1 in 5,500 chance of coming down with norovirus, according to Cruise Lines International Association.
The virus, however, spreads quickly in confined areas or within close contact with someone with the virus or contaminated surfaces.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, five out of six outbreaks of gastrointestinal issues among passengers were due to norovirus. One of the six outbreaks was due to E. Coli.
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