Nearly 140 people sickened with gastrointestinal illness on cruise ship: U.S. CDC

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of 139 people aboard a cruise ship in the United States have fallen sick with gastrointestinal illness, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday.

The "Queen Victoria" cruise ship from Cunard Cruise Line departed from Florida on Jan. 22 and is set to arrive in Hawaii on Feb. 12.

Among the ship's 1,824 passengers, 123 reported feeling sick during the voyage. Meanwhile, 16 among the 967 crew members have also fallen ill.

Their symptoms include diarrhea and vomiting, according to the CDC, while the cause of the illness remains unknown.

In response to the outbreak, Cunard Cruise Line and the crew aboard the ship increased cleaning and disinfection procedures with the sick passengers and crew properly isolated.

The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program is remotely monitoring the situation, including reviewing the ship's outbreak response and sanitation procedures, according to the agency.