MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Caribbean cruise interrupted because of A/H1N1 influenza

A Spanish cruise ship has been turned away from two Caribbean ports following an outbreak of the A/H1N1 influenza on board. Pullmantur said “Ocean Dream” was refused permission to dock in Grenada and Barbados on Wednesday, with several confirmed cases amongst the crew of the virus.

The company said another 11 crew members had symptoms, and all 14 were receiving medication and were being kept isolated from the ship’s passengers. A company spokesperson said ‘none of the passengers are affected’, and all health protocols required in such situations have been put in place.

There are 759 passengers on board the “Ocean Dream” with 400 crew members. The ship is on a nine-day cruise of the Caribbean, to Aruba, Curaçao, Isla Margarita, Grenada, Santa Lucía and Barbados.

It’s understood to be continuing its route, while the company makes arrangements to disembark the passengers.

“We don’t know what the people have – it’s probably just flu. But we do not want to risk infecting Grenadians with A/H1N1’’ said Dr Christine La Grenade, Community Health officer in the Grenade Ministry of Health.

Dr La Grenade said that because of the short period of time “Ocean Dream” would have remained on the island, the Heath Ministry would not have had enough to implement its normal screen testing procedure.

“We could not swab these persons. Even if we did, by the time the results got back, the ship would have long gone,” Dr La Grenada explained. “The ministry decided to err on the side of caution.”

According to the latest news from Venezuelan television, “Ocean Dream” is anchored and in quarantine in the island of Margarita. Apparently there are fourteen positive cases of the A/H1N1 influenza, most of them members of the crew.

The latest bulletin from the World Health Organisation gives almost 36,000 confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 virus across the world, including 163 deaths.