CDC reports 19th cruise ship norovirus outbreak this year, affecting passengers and crew

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has listed the 19th outbreak of norovirus on a cruise ship this year.

The cruise alerted the CDC about the outbreak on Sept. 28, according to the health agency's published report.

"To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines," the spokesperson added.

"If people have acute vomiting, they should avoid public areas, since even if they don't touch anything, the virus can spread through the air."

Scott Weisenberg, M.D., medical director of the NYU Langone Infectious Disease Associates and the NYU Travel Medicine Program, told Fox News Digital that norovirus spreads easily in many settings, including long-term care facilities and cruise ships.  

Norovirus can cause illness with only a tiny amount of the virus, and it's able to survive on surfaces for long periods, Weisenberg said.

For prevention, he said that washing hands with soap and water is better than using alcohol hand sanitizers. 

"If people have acute vomiting, they should avoid public areas, since even if they don't touch anything, the virus can spread through the air," said Weisenberg. "Washing surfaces with approved products, such as bleach, can remove the virus from shared surfaces."

Passenger Artur Madej told WSVN that he got sick about four days before they arrived in Miami, saying that he had "watery stool for, like, three or four days nonstop."

"I talked to a lot of friends, and a lot of them were sick as well, and none of them reported it, because if you report it, they quarantine you," he added.

Fox News Digital's Rachel Wolf contributed reporting.