A norovirus outbreak aboard the Ruby Princess has affected 125 people—102 passengers and 23 crew—during a 20-day round-trip voyage from San Francisco to Alaska and Canada, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vessel, carrying 3,032 passengers and 1,144 crew, crossed the CDC’s 3% reporting threshold on 28 June, triggering enhanced sanitation protocols, isolation of symptomatic individuals, and collection of stool samples. The ship returned to San Francisco on 2 July and underwent deep cleaning before departing the same day for its next itinerary.

The Ruby Princess incident is the seventh gastrointestinal outbreak recorded on cruise ships calling at US ports in 2026 and the fifth attributed to norovirus, CDC data show. It is also the third this year for Princess Cruises, following a March outbreak on Star Princess that sickened 193 people and a May episode on Caribbean Princess with 160 cases. Norovirus spreads rapidly in confined environments via contaminated surfaces, food, or person-to-person contact, and its ability to persist on surfaces complicates containment. The cruise line said it implemented “enhanced sanitation protocols across the ship” and would disinfect the vessel thoroughly before the next departure.

Separately, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius over after the last contact completed quarantine and tested negative. The episode, which began after the Dutch-flagged vessel departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April, resulted in 13 confirmed cases and three deaths. The Andes strain involved is the only hantavirus known to transmit between humans, prompting health authorities in 33 countries to trace more than 650 contacts. No new cases have been reported since 25 May. WHO officials noted that while the outbreak no longer poses a public health risk, the Andes virus and other hantaviruses remain endemic threats in South America.

In Europe, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) are investigating a multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Stanley linked to instant chicken-flavoured noodles produced in Ukraine. The cluster has caused 106 confirmed cases across 14 European nations, with 49 hospitalisations, predominantly among children and young adults. Authorities warn that contaminated packets may still be in households, sustaining the risk of further infections. The investigation continues as public health agencies urge consumers to check product lot numbers and avoid consuming affected batches.