The Ruby Princess cruise ship has been locked down off the coast of California, near San Francisco, after more than 120 people on board contracted norovirus.
The ship, carrying 3,032 passengers, is now undergoing sanitation protocols, with 102 passengers and 20 crew members showing symptoms of the vomiting bug.
The Ruby Princess set off on June 12 on a 20-day round trip including stops in Alaska and the Canadian province of British Columbia, but an outbreak of the disease occurred on June 28.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is remotely monitoring the situation, reviewing the ship's outbreak response and sanitation procedures.
Princess Cruises has increased cleaning and disinfection protocols and collected samples from the people reporting symptoms.
Norovirus is highly contagious and spreads through direct contact with infected individuals, consumption of contaminated food or water, or touching infected surfaces and transferring virus particles to your mouth.
The main symptoms of norovirus include feeling sick, vomiting, diarrhoea, a high temperature, a headache, tummy pain, and body aches and pains.
While norovirus is unpleasant, it usually gets better on its own in around two days, although you can still be infectious for 48 hours after symptoms subside.
Princess Cruises has isolated anyone showing signs of having contracted the disease and has implemented enhanced sanitation protocols across the ship.
The company reports that cases have since decreased and remain low, and they are working closely with public health officials to contain the outbreak.
