A gastrointestinal illness outbreak struck the Regent Seven Seas Mariner during a voyage off the coast of Africa last month, affecting dozens of passengers and crew members as the ship made its way through international waters.
Among the ship's 631 passengers, 21 reported feeling sick, or 3.3 percent of those aboard. An additional six crew members out of 458 fell ill, or 1.3 percent of the crew.
The majority of those who fell ill reported diarrhea as the primary symptom, though the specific causative agent remains unknown as of the CDC's latest update. Samples collected from ill passengers and crew are pending confirmatory testing.
The ship's medical team isolated sick passengers and crew as standard precaution, while the ship's Sanitation Officer implemented CDC-approved protocols. Enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures were conducted throughout the ship in accordance with the company's outbreak prevention and response plan, the CDC said.
The CDC’s prevention-focused Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) remotely monitored the situation from shore, reviewing the ship's response to the outbreak and sanitation procedures. Officials aboard the ship consulted with VSP regarding sanitation cleaning procedures and reporting protocols for sick passengers.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed it was monitoring the situation to the news outlet. "We are aware of the matter and await further details from the Western Cape Department of Health," the NICD said in a statement.
The cruise line and the NICD did not respond to requests for comment from NTD News prior to publication.
Port workers at Cape Town reported that terminal sanitization procedures were conducted with heightened security measures. One terminal worker told the Cape Argus, "The whole terminal was sanitized, and staff were wearing masks and gloves.”
Gastrointestinal illness, or acute gastroenteritis, is commonly reported on cruise ships. Norovirus is frequently identified as the causative agent in such outbreaks, though determining the specific pathogen can require time for laboratory analysis.
The CDC defines gastrointestinal illness cases as meeting specific criteria: three or more loose stools within 24 hours or vomiting accompanied by symptoms including diarrhea, muscle ache, headache, abdominal cramp, or fever. Cruise ships are required to report these cases to CDC authorities.
The outbreak was first reported to VSP on Jan. 29, according to the CDC notice. As laboratory testing continues, health officials await final confirmation of the outbreak's causative agent.