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2000 passengers forced into quarantine on Australian swine flu cruise ship
Bad times for cruise passengers - after a flesh eating bacteria scare earlier this month, it's an Australian ship that is in trouble this time. The P&O operated Pacific Dawn was scheduled to cruise around the Great Barrier Reef, but 3 crew members were confirmed to be infected with swine flu.
At the moment, the schedule has been canceled, and the ship is heading towards Brisbane.
Once in port, only Queensland residents will be allowed to disembark, but they will all be forced to undergo a health check.
These 150 passengers will then be transported to their homes, where they will have to stay indoors for at least 7 days.
The remaining 1850 passengers will be forced to stay on board as the ship has been turned into a quarantine area.
The ship will head towards Sydney on Monday and will remain in quarantine until health officials clear every passenger.
The three crew members who were infected have received treatment. Five of the 2000 passengers are in isolation awaiting results of tests.
Update: The passengers have been granted permission to disembark. Medical tests showed no evidence of any further infections. On its previous cruise, a total of 48 passengers were infected. Initial reports show that the confirmed cases of swine flu on this cruise were all picked up on the previous voyage.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
califjudy2008 Jun 1st 2009 2:24PM
AOL SEEMS TO HAVE PROBLEMS POSTING MY COMMENTS BUT I'LL TRY AGAIN -AFTER READING W.H.O. (WORLD HEALTH ORG) THER WERE OVER 15,000 CONFIRMED CASES OF THE H1N1 VIRUS REPORTED IN THE WORLD WITH OVER 8,000 OF THE IN THE USA-AND USA TOPPING THE DEATHS FROM H1N1 A 11- LITTLE MORE THEN ONE DEAD PER 100 INFECTED. REMEMBER TO SANTI WIPE ANYTHING YOU CAN AND TRY NOT TO HANDLE CASH-USE DEBIT CARD WHEN YOU CAN.
CHERI Jun 1st 2009 4:37PM
WHEN WILL THE CRUISE LINES REALIZE THAT THEY CAN'T SHUFFLE OFF ONE GROUP OF PASSENGERS AND THEN RELOAD WITH THE NEXT WITHOUT GIVING TIME TO REALLY CLEAN THE SHIP! WE SUFFERED THE NORVO VIRUS ON THE DAWN GOING TO HAWAII AND WE GOT IT ON THE SECOND DAY FROM THE INFECTED CREW MEMBERS WHO GOT IT FROM THE PREVIOUS CRUISE. I FELT SO SORRY FOR ALL THE ELDERLY PASSENGERS WHO WERE REALLY HIT HARD WITH THE VIRUS. THERE SHOULD BE A THREE DAY TURN AROUND BEFORE NEW PASSENGERS ARE LOADED ON BOARD.
Mike Jun 1st 2009 5:08PM
Well that's a real oinker.
BILL PULKOWNIK Jun 1st 2009 5:38PM
GET REAL, CRAP HAPPENS AND NO AMOUNT OF SCRUBBING AND DUBBING IS GOING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. UNLESS YOU HAVE A DIRECT LINE TO MOTHER NATURE?????????????? HEY PILGRIM THIS GOES WITH WHAT WE CALL LIFE. SUCK IT UP AND DO NOT STAMPEDE THE CATTLE.
princess Jun 1st 2009 5:51PM
just wash your dam hands......... www.realvacationscheap.com
JJ Jun 1st 2009 6:25PM
Some people have all the luck! I would happily have the flu if it meant I could be quarantined on a luxery cruise ship! LOL. I bet every mom would glady do it to if it meant a few weeks away from their kids. lol.
Dar Jun 1st 2009 6:46PM
I live with a relative in his 70's who goes out to at a fast food restaurant for coffee and sandwich, get a newspaper and do some shopping. Before that he emptys the garbage at home. Then at home, he proceeds to fix his plate of food without washing his hands. We argue and he says I'm treating him like a kid. I agree with him and say I shouldn't have to tell a grown man what to do. I have a disease that compromise my immune system, and I'm reminded by my doctor to be careful. I care for my relative. As for my health, I may have to move out. People, it starts at the home. If you love your family, start by doing the simplest task, such as washing your hands. You not only set an example for your kids, but you'll live long to see them grow up as adults.Love and Peace.
debjm Jun 2nd 2009 7:57AM
CALIFJUDY -- I just checked the W.H.O. website. The latest statistics I see there (as of June 1) show 17,410 cases to date globally, with 115 deaths resulting. Total cases in the U.S. number 8,975, with 15 deaths. The largest number of deaths have occurred in Mexico. I'm certainly not a mathematician, but I THINK that means that in the U.S., the mortality rate from the flu so far is .0017 -- or less than 1/5 of 1 percent. Globally, the mortality rate is, thus far, .0066, or a little less than 7/10 of 1 percent. Again, I'm not a mathematician, but I believe your conclusion that more than 1% of the infected population is dying is wrong. This illness doesn't require exaggeration -- it's bad enough as it is.
Babs Jun 1st 2009 6:51PM
I love the way the passengers from Queensland will be allowed to disembark but must stay at home for 7 days. Here we close a school and let the little bast@&ds run wild in the malls.If we ever tried to quarentune them the parents would be SCREAMING!!! I often wondered why when a casebreaks out in a school why we didnt quarentine. I guess its UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!!!!
Albert J Reine Jun 2nd 2009 3:45PM
Australia your doing the right thing to protect people, and your smart enough not to be POLTICAL CORRECT: In America we have a CZAR of Home Land Security, but Czar Janet and BHO do not want to hurt the feelings of the Illegals and Mexicans that brought this SWINE FLU to other countries, now Mexico wants to elimate Visas for all visitors from China, because tourismn is down in Mexico, America has NAFTA, and CDC will not close the US Border to Mexico, or recquire a Valid WHO for Entry; Jjust wait for Winter, Being Poltical Correct is just STUPID ! I wonder who has stock in the Drug Companies ?
PrariWolf Jun 1st 2009 7:53PM
They should have known better than to board, with a name like "swine flu cruise ship." ;)
Cheryl I. Perna Jun 19th 2009 2:54PM
diagnostic kit for Swine Flu Detection
Fatal as it can be described, the A1 (H1N1) influenza virus is already a global treat. Though this was the case its effects can be minified by means of early detection. Every government is doing its best preventive measures to put everything ready if ever the spread of this influenza virus reached every corner in the world.