Norovirus cases are on the rise. A large spike of the highly contagious norovirus,often called the stomach flu, was reported in the first week of the month with 91 outbreaks reported across the country. Presently, a norovirus outbreak aboard a luxury cruise ship has left over 224 passengers and 17 crew members ill, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The affected voyage is a luxury Cunard Line ship traveling from Southampton, England, through New York and the Caribbean before returning to the United Kingdom.

The ship, Cunard's Queen Mary 2, is scheduled to travel on this route for nearly a month, having departed on March 8 and set to return on April 6. The sweeping norovirus outbreak was reported to the CDC on March 18, according to the agency.

In response to the outbreak, the ship and crew increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, collected stool specimens for testing and isolated people who had fallen ill. Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea and is commonly referred to as the "stomach flu" or the "stomach bug".

It is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. Other symptoms may include stomach pain, fever, headache, body aches or dehydration. The virus is also quite common, especially on ships. There have been 12 GI outbreaks on cruise ships in 2025, so far.

According to the federal health agency, every year the norovirus causes between 19 and 21 million illnesses, 109,000 hospitalizations and 900 deaths.

As per another report, a person can become infected by having direct contact with someone who is infected and sharing food or utensils with them; touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then touching their face or mouth; or consuming contaminated foods or liquids.

Typically, an infected person will develop symptoms between 12 to 48 hours after being infected. However, norovirus typically resolves quickly and, in most healthy adults, lasts one to three days.

There is no specific medication or antiviral for norovirus, meaning the only treatment available is managing symptoms. The CDC recommends staying hydrated and drinking liquids that replenish electrolytes, which can be depleted through diarrhea and vomiting.

Washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is one of the best ways to prevent spread. To prevent contamination from food, make sure fruits and vegetables are washed, and that shellfish is cooked to at least an internal temperature of 145 F.

As for the ship, Queen Mary 2 sails regular transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York City, in addition to short cruises and an annual world voyage. She has served as the flagship of the Cunard Line since April 2004, and as of 2025, is the only active, purpose-built ocean liner still in service.

Floating hotels on the Sea

Such Luxury passenger ships are called floating hotels on the sea. These ships have many facilities and provide big restaurants, theaters, pools, gyms and quiet libraries to enjoy a long cruise trip. They also have a clinic and doctors on board, too. RMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a British ocean liner.

It was designed by a team of British naval architects led by Stephen Payne, and was constructed in France. At the time of its construction, Queen Mary 2 was the longest, at 1,131.99 ft (345.03 m), and largest, with a gross tonnage of 148,528 GT, passenger ship ever built. It no longer holds these records after the construction of Royal Caribbean International's 154,407 GT Freedom of the Seas (a cruise ship) in April 2006, but remains the largest ocean liner ever built.

Queen Mary 2 was intended for regular crossings of the Atlantic Ocean; the final construction cost was approximately $300,000 per berth. The cost was increased by the high quality of materials; having been designed as an ocean liner, 40% more steel was required than for a standard cruise ship. Queen Mary 2 has a maximum speed of just over 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) and a cruising speed of 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph), which is faster than a contemporary cruise ship. Instead of the common diesel-electric configuration, Queen Mary 2 uses integrated electric propulsion to achieve her top speed. Diesel engines, augmented by gas turbines, are used to generate electricity for electric motors for propulsion and for on-board use.

Queen Mary 2's facilities include fifteen restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, a casino, a ballroom, a theatre, and the first planetarium at sea. Queen Mary 2 is the flagship of Cunard Line. She was constructed to replace the ageing Queen Elizabeth 2, which was the Cunard flagship from 1969 to 2004 and the last major ocean liner built before Queen Mary 2. Queen Mary 2 had the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) prefix conferred on her by the Royal Mail when she entered service in 2004, as a gesture to Cunard's history.

Queen Mary 2 is not a steamship like many of her predecessors, but is powered primarily by four diesel engines, with two additional gas turbines providing extra power when required; this integrated electric propulsion configuration is used to produce the power to drive her four electric propulsion pods as well as the ship's hotel services. The spaces for these prime movers are also split, and controls are also backed up, with the intention of preventing a single failure from disabling the ship.

Like her predecessor Queen Elizabeth 2, it is built for crossing the Atlantic Ocean and is also regularly used for cruising. In the winter season it cruises from New York to the Caribbean.