Cruise Line: Holland America Line

Ship: Maasdam

Illness: Undetermined gastrointestinal illness

Voyage Dates: Feb. 19 – March 5

Event:

Passengers and crew members aboard Holland America’s Maasadam cruise ship out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., have reported symptoms of a gastrointestinal illness.

Nearly 14 percent, 168 of 1,211 passengers and 4 percent, 19 of 559 crew members, said they were ill with symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting during the two week voyage.

In response to the outbreak, Holland America has increased cleaning and disinfection on the ship, notified passengers onboard and passengers scheduled for the next voyage on the Maasadam, collected and sent 10 infected stool samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratories and notified the Vessel Sanitation Program. There is also a 50-person contract cleaning and disinfection team awaiting the ship’s arrival in Ft. Lauderdale.

The likely gastrointestinal illness is Norovirus, which is a common illness on cruise ships.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Investigation Update on the Maasdam,” http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/outbreak/2010/march05maasdam.htm; 03 March 2010.

Sun Sentinel. “ Ship docks in Fort Lauderdale with 14 percent of passengers hit with flu symptoms,” http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-03-05/business/fl-maasdam-sick-20100305_1_cruise-ships-passengers-and-crew-members-two-cdc; 05 March 2010.

Associate Press. “More people sick on SC cruise ship that had virus,” http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g-iEuurbQiPEjkymu-NbC9lo3z1wD9E8GR3G0; 5 March 2010.