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Swine Flu Outbreak On Cruise Ship

A cruise ship carrying 400 passengers was turn away from two Caribbean ports (Barbados and Grenada) due to the fear of swine flu outbreak. The Ocean Dream, owned by Pullmantur turned back to Aruba, its home port, after a large number of passengers disembark earlier at Isla Margarita, Venezuela.

Three out of the four hundred crew members had been tested positive with swine flu and eleven others are also showing symptoms related to the disease. Port authorities in Grenada and Barbados refused to allow the ship to dock after early word of the illnesses spread. As a result, the Ocean Dream had no option but to cut short its 9-day cruise and return back home.

Nancy Perez, Deputy Health Minister told the government television that more than 350 people got off the cruise on Wednesday night at Isla Margarita, out of which 2 have been tested with symptoms of swine flu. All the passengers have been allowed to stay in local hotels and will be re-examined before permitted to return home.

The ship embarked on 12th June with more than 750 passengers on board and carried people from different places including Spain, US, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Netherlands, Chile, Uruguay, Romania, Panama, Russia, France, Italy, Iteland and Belgium.

Health officials said the cruise ship would not be allowed to dock in Aruba until full assess had been done on the crew members who tested positive for swine flu. Even after docking all crew members and passengers will have to remain on the ship in order to allow health officials check for swine flu symptoms.