- The ARC - California Edition -

Cruise Ship Precaution

Early during 1998, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in one of its periodic health reports reminded the public that cruise ship travel provides a semi-enclosed environment which is quite conducive to the spread of a number of infectious diseases.

Almost daily, dozens of these exciting luxurious ocean liners are each bringing together two to four thousand people – individuals who may or may not have recently been exposed to a contagious disease.

The majority of the passengers on the ships which depart our shores are US-born and would have been vaccinated for most of the serious diseases during childhood. This is often not true for the crew with almost all of these vacation boats being operated by foreign-born persons that come from countries lacking any formal immunization program.

Rubella, a very contagious disease, was recently the subject of outbreaks among crew members on two different cruise lines.

The health professionals from the CDC are concerned with the potential of transmitting this mild disease, rubella, to pregnant females among the crew, as well as pregnant females among the passengers who may not be immune to rubella.

It is very critical to the brain of any fetus that a woman not get rubella during her pregnancy.

In the interest of prevention, the Arc Health Promotion and Disability Prevention committee recommends

“TO REDUCE THE RISKS FOR RUBELLA INFECTION AND CONGENITAL RUBELLA SYNDROME (CRS), WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE, PARTICULARLY PREGNANT WOMEN, SHOULD BE IMMUNE TO RUBELLA BEFORE TRAVELING ON CRUISE SHIPS .”