Document Detail


Dealing with gastrointestinal illness on a cruise ship--Part 1: Description of sanitation measures. Part 2: An isolation study.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15881540     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: Recent outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness (GI) on passenger ships have caused cruise companies to expand their sanitation programs. OBJECTIVES: To describe sanitation procedures and measures involving the medical staff of one cruise ship (Part 1), and to show how one of the new measures, isolation, influenced medical practice (Part 2). METHODS: Consecutive GI logs were reviewed from 17 cruises of a ship with an average of 590 passengers and 611 crew per day. RESULTS: During a 250-day period 207 persons were isolated for a total of 419 days: 113 passengers (75 with GI, 38 asymptomatic contacts) and 94 crew (57 with GI, 37 contacts). The percentage of GI cases per 7 days varied between 0.10% and 0.43% among passengers and between 0 and 0.39% among crew, except for one cruise when the percentage per 7 days reached 2.16% among passengers and 0.61% among crew. CONCLUSIONS: A detailed operational directive for all aspects of sanitation is helpful for prevention and control of GI outbreaks on ships. A strict isolation policy is an expensive, but critical measure, which in particular challenges the medical staff.
Authors:
Eilif Dahl
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  International maritime health     Volume:  55     ISSN:  1641-9251     ISO Abbreviation:  Int Marit Health     Publication Date:  2004  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2005-05-09     Completed Date:  2005-07-27     Revised Date:  2007-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  100958373     Medline TA:  Int Marit Health     Country:  Poland    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  19-29     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Professor Dahls Gate 50A, 0260 Oslo, Norway. eilifdahl@hotmail.com
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Diarrhea / epidemiology*,  etiology,  prevention & control*
Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control*
Food Contamination / prevention & control
Humans
Practice Guidelines as Topic
Recreation
Sanitation*
Ships / statistics & numerical data*
World Health

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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