any surface. That clearly is no longer true.

There has not been a documented case of transmission by contact. The new findings will direct the researchers into a reexamination of their earlier data.

The CDC conducted the study to establish, definitively, how the virus transcended multiple voyages, on the same ship. Some of the incidents were easily traceable - an infected, but untested prior passenger transmitted the virus to a crew member who infected his/her colleagues and then passed it on to passengers, on the subsequent cruise. But in some cases,the trail wasn't quite as defined.

The CDC was trying to determine why some incidents were not so clear cut. The discovery, regarding the virus, was not expected.