St. Louis -- More than 100 passengers fell ill to an apparent stomach virus during two river cruises on the Mississippi Queen paddleboat over the past two weeks.
The illnesses prompted the operator, Seattle-based Delta Queen Steamboat Company, to cancel the cruises while in progress and another cruise scheduled to depart yesterday.
About 20 percent of 528 passengers were stricken on a seven-day cruise from Cincinnati to St. Louis along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, according to company spokeswoman April Matson.
The cruise, which departed Oct. 18, was cut short two days at Cape Girardeau, MO. A few passengers were checked at a local hospital and released, said Matson.
Although crew members scrubbed the ship and replaced the bedding, at least another 12 people fell ill on the next scheduled trip, an Oct. 25 departure from St. Louis to St. Paul along the Mississippi River. The ship docked in Hannibal, MO, where the ill passengers were treated at a local hospital and released, and the trip was canceled.
Health officials said the illness was probably a form of the Norwalk virus, a highly contagious disease transmitted through food, water, and infected surfaces. People who contract the disease suffer nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
A scheduled departure on Nov. 8 will proceed as planned, according to Matson, who added that all passengers on the canceled cruises will receive refunds.
The Delta Queen Steamboat Company is a subsidiary of Newport Beach, CA-based Ambassadors International, which also owns the Ambassadors event-planning company. Delta Queen Steamboat Company also operates the American Queen and Delta Queen river cruise ships.
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