January 14, 2016

Report: Cruise ship stomach sickness becoming less common

byMike Stobbe

Report: Cruise ship stomach sickness becoming less common
This Friday, Feb. 26, 2010 file photo shows the cruise ship Celebrity Mercury docked at the South Carolina State Ports Authority passenger terminal in downtown Charleston S.C., after passengers became sick with a stomach bug. According to figures released on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cruise ship passengers are getting sick with a stomach bug less often. Since 1990, the illness rate has fallen from about 29 to 22 per 100,000 passengers. (AP Photo/Mic Smith, File)

Health officials say cruise ship passengers are getting sick with a stomach bug less often.

About 20 outbreaks are reported each year on ships that dock at U.S. ports, on average. Many draw media coverage.

But it's becoming less common for passengers to get sick, according to figures released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Since 1990, the illness rate has fallen from about 29 to 22 per 100,000 passengers. Officials say cruise ship companies are doing more to disinfect ships and prevent outbreaks.

It wasn't a steady decline. Cases spiked in 2012 when a new strain of norovirus emerged. Norovirus causes most stomach illnesses on .

More information: CDC report: www.cdc.gov/mmwr

© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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