Overview
- The most recent outbreak was reported July 12 during a July 10–15 Sitka-to-Juneau voyage when 18 of the ship’s 62 passengers reported vomiting and abdominal cramps.
- This is the third illness event on the 152-foot Sea Bird since late May, following outbreaks May 26–31 and June 25–30 that sickened passengers and crew.
- Health officials previously attributed the two earlier outbreaks to norovirus, but samples from the July incident are pending confirmatory testing so the current cause remains unconfirmed.
- The ship’s crew isolated sick passengers and stepped up cleaning and disinfection under its outbreak response plan while the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program remotely monitors and reviews the vessel’s sanitation procedures.
- Norovirus spreads quickly in close quarters and, if confirmed again, the repeated incidents could widen scrutiny of Lindblad Expeditions’ sanitation practices and affect passenger confidence and future itineraries.