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The expedition vessel National Geographic Sea Bird, operated by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, has experienced its second norovirus outbreak in approximately one month during its current Alaska deployment. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 19 of the 68 passengers and one crew member reported gastrointestinal illness during a voyage that concluded on June 30th, 2026. The principal symptoms were diarrhoea and vomiting.
Following notification of the outbreak, the cruise line introduced enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures, isolated affected passengers and crew members, and implemented additional measures in accordance with its outbreak response plan. The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) is continuing to monitor the situation remotely while reviewing the vessel's sanitation practices and response procedures.
The latest incident follows an earlier outbreak aboard the same vessel during a voyage that ended on May 31st, when 12 people—9 passengers and 3 crew members—reported gastrointestinal illness. In response to the earlier cases, the CDC carried out an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation on subsequent voyages after additional illnesses were identified.
According to the CDC, the National Geographic Sea Bird outbreak is one of several gastrointestinal illness incidents reported aboard cruise ships during 2026 that met the agency's threshold for public notification. Most of the reported outbreaks this year have been attributed to norovirus, although the CDC notes that cruise ship outbreaks account for only a small proportion of all reported norovirus cases.
