CDC: Norwalk-like virus confirmed on Disney cruise liner Magic

ATLANTA - Lab tests confirmed Norwalk-like virus among ill passengers on board the Disney cruise liner Magic, federal officials said Wednesday. <br> <br> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said 104 passengers and 19 crew members on the cruise liner became ill. <br> <br> Disney canceled the next voyage of the Magic on Wednesday. Instead of embarking on a week-long Caribbean cruise Saturday, the Magic will remain docked in Port Canaveral while crews clean ``every surface throughout the ship that a guest would come in contact with,&#39;&#39; Disney Cruise Lines spokeswoman Marilyn Waters said. <br> <br> The Magic was disinfected as recently as Saturday after 275 people became ill on the ship&#39;s seven-day trip that began Nov. 16. The CDC confirmed the virus from lab tests from samples of passengers on the Nov. 16 cruise. <br> <br> The Norwalk virus and its related family of ``Norwalk-like&#39;&#39; viruses are among many common micro-organisms that can cause intestinal disease. The United States has about 181,000 cases of the virus yearly, according to the CDC. <br> <br> CDC officials said Norwalk-like viruses are common among enclosed settings such as nursing homes, schools and hospitals and that people can safely vacation on cruise ships. <br> <br> Only a small number of the Magic&#39;s 2,485 passengers and 1,003 crew have become sick, said David Forney of the CDC. <br> <br> ``A lot of people are having a good time; they are not getting ill,&#39;&#39; Forney said. ``Cruise lines are well aware of the risks and are doing everything they can to make sure this is not an issue.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The ship, which set sail Nov. 23 from Port Canaveral about 50 miles east of Orlando for a tour of the Caribbean, will continue its current cruise and return on Saturday. <br> <br> Disinfecting a ship without passengers offers a better chance of getting rid of the virus than when vessels are cleaned with passengers on board, Forney said. <br> <br> The CDC said the virus probably passed from person-to-person, something that makes the virus ``a little more difficult to control,&#39;&#39; Forney said. ``The best protective measure is frequent handwashing&#39;&#39; with warm water and soap and avoiding contact between the hands and mouth. <br> <br> Holland America officials are continuing to clean and disinfect the ship Amsterdam at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Officials canceled a 10-day cruise for disinfection and the ship has been without passengers since Nov. 21, Forney said. About 500 passengers and crew became ill from Norwalk-like viruses in the past few weeks. <br> <br> In July, 172 passengers and crew aboard Holland America&#39;s Ryndham also fell ill from what was believed to be a Norwalk-like virus. <br> <br> The CDC said the virus was passed on board those ships via person-to-person contact. CDC officials found no problems with food handling and potable water systems on those ships, Forney said. <br> <br> But the CDC doesn&#39;t suspect a similar outbreak on a third Holland America ship, the Statendam, which reported 38 cases of gastrointestinal illness during its trip from San Diego to Hawaii. <br> <br> Norwalk-like viruses are often found in outbreaks in nursing homes, camps, hotels and elementary schools. A Norwalk-like virus was blamed for making about 100 guests sick during a pre-Oscar ceremony in March in Los Angeles.