Investigation Update on the Oceania Marina

Cruise Line: Oceania Cruises

Cruise Ship: Oceania Marina

Voyage Dates: April 21 - May 7, 2015

Number of passengers who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of passengers onboard: 69 of 1,185 (5.82%)

Number of crew who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of crew onboard: 11 of 769 (1.43%)

Predominant symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea

Causative agent: Norovirus

Actions: In response to the outbreak, Oceania Cruises and the crew aboard the ship reported the following actions:

• Increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan,
• Making announcements to notify onboard passengers and crew of the outbreak, encourage case reporting, and encourage good hand hygiene,
• Collected stool specimens from passenger and crew gastrointestinal illness cases for testing by CDC,
• Making twice daily reports of gastrointestinal illness cases to the VSP,
• Is consulting with CDC on plans for their comprehensive sanitation procedures in New York City, NY on May 7, 2015, including:
  • planning staged disembarkation for active cases to limit the opportunity of illness transmission to well guests, and
  • planning for sanitation of terminal and transport infection control procedures.

The CDC Vessel Sanitation Program conducted an unannounced operational inspection of the ship in Miami on 3 May, 2015, and will continue to monitor the outbreak, providing epidemiological support as needed. Clinical specimens were collected from some of the ill persons and those will be sent to CDC for laboratory analysis and confirmation of the causative agent(s).