MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine health authorities cleared MSC Armonia: “there is no risk”

Health Minister Juan Manzur: ‘the situation is normal and under control’

Argentine Health Minister Juan Manzur confirmed Wednesday morning that the situation on the MSC Armonía cruise ship, which lost a crew member last Friday to a possible flu virus, “was under control” and “normal” after it arrived to Buenos Aires port to be inspected by customs and health authorities.

After speaking with doctors on board the cruise and carrying out a series of controls, the Health minister told the press that both passengers and crew members on board the ship were “all clear of risk and that there aren’t any complications.”

“There is no risk,” Manzur said after finishing a health inspection aboard the cruise liner where health specialists were working following its arrival to Buenos Aires from Montevideo.

Health minister Manzur added that there were “no longer any isolated people,” and only three crew members had possible flu-like symptoms and “are to be seen by doctors and treated accordingly.”

The MSC Armonía cruise ship, which lost a crew member on Friday while in the Brazilian port of Santos, docked at the Buenos Aires port Quinquela Martín terminal just after 7 am morning, arriving from Uruguay.

The ship called in Montevideo, Uruguay Tuesday, where five crew members were again taken to undergo medical checks. They were all released later in the day.

An official release from MSC Cruceros says that 15 February 2012 a member from the crew of MSC Armonia, Fabiana Pasquarelli was taken ashore from the three-night mini cruise in Santos for medical reasons. She was interned at the Ana Costa hospital where she died Friday 17 because of respiratory complications.

Seven crew members who had been in contact with Ms Pasquarelli underwent medical tests and four of them were discharged on Sunday 19 and the remaining three on Monday 20.

The vessel is currently on a cruise along the Atlantic coast and is scheduled to be back in Santos in five days time.