Last year, there were 16 outbreaks on cruise ships, from norovirus, salmonella, E. coli or other unidentified pathogens that cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting. That's the largest number of cruise ship outbreaks in 12 years.

What's sneaky, super contagious and bound to cause diarrhea and vomiting? If you answered "norovirus," you'd be correct. But what is it, and why is it so often associated with cruises?

A cruise passenger died following a norovirus outbreak on a US -bound ship that confined dozens of travellers to their cabins. Alan Forster, 77, from Paignton, died from suspected kidney failure last October after falling ill with norovirus during a cruise with his wife.

A norovirus outbreak aboard the P&O Cruises’ Arcadia ship last fall left dozens of passengers confined to their cab

A norovirus outbreak aboard P&O Cruises' Arcadia led to the death of a 77-year-old British passenger, Alan Forster. The outbreak, affecting over 100 passengers, has raised concerns about medical care delays and increasing norovirus cases on cruise ships.

Norovirus, often coined the “cruise ship virus,” causes more than 90% of diarrheal disease outbreaks on cruise ships, according to the CDC. Still, norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships account for only a small percentage of all reported norovirus outbreaks.

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