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.

A person sick with norovirus can shed significant amounts of the virus, and it doesn’t take much to infect someone else. Because of this, the virus thrives in crowded, indoor spaces like cruise ships, nursing homes, schools and day care centers, experts said.

Outbreaks of norovirus across the country in 2024 are more than double the cases of the illness compared to previous years, according to a CDC report.

One woman said she had uncontrollable vomiting, body chills, and a 102-degree fever.

UW Health's Dr. Bill Hartman discusses a rise in norovirus cases in the U.S. and how smoking cigarettes impacts life expectancy.