Cruise ship outbreak: Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady

Salmonella and E. coli

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 71 passengers and seven crew on board a recent Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady voyage were sickened with symptoms of abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhea.

The causative agents of the outbreak on the October 8–October 13, 2023 voyage were identified as Salmonella and E. coli.

Virgin Voyages took the following actions in response to the outbreak:

• Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan.

• Collected stool specimens from gastrointestinal illness cases for testing.

• Isolated ill passengers and crew.

The is the 14th cruise ship outbreak investigated by the CDC in 2023. The previous 13 outbreaks were due to norovirus.

Image/CDC