Cruise Ship Outbreak Updates Vessel Sanitation Program

Table Of Content

• After Travel
• Diseases on Cruise Ships – Why We Hear About Them More
• Infection Prevention and Control
• Recommendations when a voyage’s crew or passenger ARI attack rate reaches 2%‡
• Diagnostic Tests for Acute Viral Respiratory Illness (ARI)
• Royal Caribbean Blog is your ultimate source for Royal Caribbean coverage.

The total number of infected was 2385 (of those 2249 passengers and 136 crew). In 2014, the number of reported illness outbreaks on cruise ships was 17. The total number of infected was 3559 (of those 3354 passengers and 205 crew). In 2015, the number of reported illness outbreaks on cruise ships was 23. The total number of infected was 2570 (of those 2458 passengers and 112 crew).

After Travel

“I think that’s the first step they’ve taken in terms of improving the air filtration system, which removes almost all of the airborne pathogens,” she says. Lautenschlager's medical costs on Norwegian totaled $371.96, including medication, according to a receipt she shared with USA TODAY. The cruise line operator has a formulary – a list of medications needed to treat most diagnoses made on the ships – and stocks the vessels with those, though supplies are limited given the finite storage on board. Lautenschlager had been looking forward to going kayaking on a stop in Cabo San Lucas during her 15-day Panama Canal sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line. Instead, she spent most of the day in her cabin before visiting the ship's medical facility, where she was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. Most vessels have received scores in the high 90s — only one cruise ship, the MSC Seaside, has failed the CDC's sanitation inspection so far this year.

Diseases on Cruise Ships – Why We Hear About Them More

For disease-specific information, see the relevant chapters of Section 5. Medical center visits are primarily the result of acute illness or injury. The most frequently reported diagnoses include respiratory illnesses (30%–40%); injuries from slips, trips, or falls (12%–18%); seasickness (10%); and gastrointestinal (GI) illness (10%); 80% of onboard deaths are due to cardiovascular events. In late February, more than 300 people aboard a Princess Cruises ship fell ill with diarrhea and vomiting, according to the CDC, though the agency didn’t cite the cause of the illness that sickened the 284 passengers and 34 crew.

Infection Prevention and Control

It operates hospital ships since 1978 and also has currently the world's largest hospital ship (excluding navy vessels) - MV Africa Mercy. Hospital ships are designated as floating medical facilities (hospitals). Data on this page are from ship surveillance reports and from CDC-led investigations. This will help the crew take appropriate precautions to keep any illness from spreading throughout the ship, and will ensure you get proper care to get well as quickly as possible. This will minimize your contact with greater numbers of people to reduce the risk of disease transmission.

Other Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

You should drink plenty of water as dehydration is a side-effect of the illness. A few years ago an experimental Norovirus vaccine (applied as nasal spray) was developed by the "Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology" (Arizona State University). The symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, abdominal cramps. The illness lasts 1 to 4 days, but some people (especially elderly) may be contagious for up to 2 weeks after recovery. Find more information about gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on land and at sea. In response to the outbreak, the crew of the Queen Victoria have “increased cleaning and disinfection procedures” and have “isolated ill passengers and crew,” the C.D.C. said.

The Ruby Princess increased disinfection and cleaning procedures in the wake of the outbreak. If you come down with COVID-19 while you’re on your cruise, you’ll likely be quarantined in your cabin. It’s important to prevent the spread, because it also affects the blood vessels, and one in 10 infections is causing long-term problems to the heart, circulatory system and brain.

Recommendations when a voyage’s crew or passenger ARI attack rate reaches 2%‡

More Than 2,000 Stuck On Cruise Ship Because Of Mystery Illness - Forbes

More Than 2,000 Stuck On Cruise Ship Because Of Mystery Illness.

Posted: Sun, 25 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Like a virus, Norwalk can't be effectively treated with antibiotics, making it extremely difficult to eliminate in closed environments - like cruise vessels. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. During the length of a cruise vacation, a disease has the opportunity to incubate and symptoms can appear in newly affected individuals. This makes diseases on cruise ships more easily noticeable and traceable than in other areas.

Diagnostic Tests for Acute Viral Respiratory Illness (ARI)

A cut needing a few stitches can usually be addressed on board, as can minor burns. And for something like a minor fracture or a broken arm, “they might provide a splint and pain medication to get you through the end of the cruise,” says Dr. Spangler. Here are some of the more common illnesses and how they are typically handled onboard.

Travelers can reduce the risk of acquiring a GI illness on cruise ships by frequently washing hands with soap and water, especially before eating and after using the restroom. Travelers should call the ship’s medical center promptly, even for mild symptoms of a GI illness, and strictly follow cruise ship guidance regarding isolation and other infection-control measures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 13 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships so far in 2023. The last time the industry's yearly gastrointestinal illness outbreak total was that high was back in 2016 — and it's only July. After a lull during the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of the highly contagious virus that causes diarrhea and vomiting, aka stomach flu, spiked this winter and spring on land.

See information on cruise ship GI illnesses and updates on GI illness outbreaks involving ships with US ports of call, specifically. Among 410 reported cases during November 2022–January 2023 (voyages 1–5), 356 (87%) occurred in passengers and 54 (13%) in crew members. The index case likely occurred in a food and beverage crew member sailing on a crew-only voyage (voyage 1). In general, crew members with AGE reported to onboard medical personnel in a timely manner and were isolated until 48 hours after symptoms subsided. Crew member transmission was followed by passenger transmission on voyages 3, 4, and 5.

Learn more about illnesses and outbreaks reported to VSP and find information about outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships. Cruise ship COVID-19 outbreaks can tax onboard medical and public health resources. Ship-to-shore medical evacuations to facilities capable of providing higher levels of medical care can present logistical challenges and pose additional risks to ill patients. During 2006–2019, rates of GI illness among passengers on voyages lasting 3–21 days fell from 32.5 to 16.9 cases per 100,000 travel days. CDC assists the cruise ship industry to prevent and control the introduction, transmission, and spread of GI illnesses on cruise ships.

Your doctor may also prescribe or recommend a patch that can help prevent nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness. Read on to discover some common illnesses you can pick up on a cruise — and what you can do to help keep yourself healthy on your next getaway. Carnival Corp. medical facilities can treat a variety of ailments, from rashes and earaches to heart attacks.

You’ll be asked to fill out a form that addresses health questions and illness symptoms like fever, vomiting and diarrhea. You may also have your temperature taken by walking through a thermal-imaging scanner. Checks for certification of COVID-19 vaccination or negative tests have, at least for now, ended (here are other recent changes that might affect your cruise).

The sick guests “experienced mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness,” Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement Sunday. Officials in the island nation of Mauritius blocked a Norwegian Cruise Line ship from docking there Sunday after more than a dozen passengers were stricken with a stomach illness. Make an appointment with your healthcare provider or a travel health specialist that takes place at least one month before you leave. They can help you get destination-specific vaccines, medicines, and information.

Here's how cruise ships prevent illnesses, and what happens if you do get sick or injured. Passengers who experience norovirus symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea should notify staff and follow recommended precautions, per the CDC. ☐ Carry prescription drugs in original containers with a copy of the prescription and a physician’s letter. ☐ Check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Outbreak Updates for International Cruise Ships website for gastrointestinal outbreaks. ☐ Consider purchasing additional insurance coverage for overseas health care and medical evacuation. ☐ Defer travel while acutely ill. ☐ Evaluate the type and length of the planned cruise in the context of personal health requirements.