Black Watch - Legionnaires' Disease

[Guest]

Hi All

This worrying story from the Scotsman on Sunday @
http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1182802007

I've been on a cruise ship (Ocean Village) during an outbreak of Novavirus, but that is nothing compared to Legionnaires' Disease - i.e. you can die from Legionnaires' Disease!

"Sun 29 Jul 2007
 
Fears ship passengers struck by deadly bug
JOANNA VALLELY

A GROUP of elderly Britons feared to have symptoms of Legionnaires' disease were in a Swedish hospital last night after falling ill on a cruise ship travelling around Lapland.

At least five Britons among the 750 holidaymakers aboard the Fred Olsen cruise liner, the Black Watch, were admitted to hospital in Stockholm on Friday.

Spokeswoman Wendy Hooper-Greenhill confirmed last night that a total of six holidaymakers - five women and one man - had been taken to hospital with "pneumonia-like symptoms".

The ship, which sailed from Dover almost two weeks ago, is already on its way back to Britain and is due to arrive tomorrow - two days earlier than expected - for a thorough disinfection. Hooper-Greenhill said the hospital was awaiting the results of tests.

She added: "It is important to remember that we do not know what the infection is, nor do we know how it was contracted."

In a statement, the company added: "Fred Olsen regards the health and safety of its passengers and crew as the highest priority and will take all steps necessary to eradicate all trace of the bacteria should it be found anywhere on the ship."

Another liner, the Black Prince, run by the same company, was hit by a highly contagious vomiting virus twice last year. The ship had left Edinburgh and was on a cruise to Norway in June when 116 were diagnosed with the Norovirus bug and confined to their cabins.

Less than a month later, the winter vomiting bug struck again when more than 100 passengers fell ill on a trip to Greenland and Iceland."

Regards

Steve Ellwood

[Nathan]

Sounds kinda bad!
Did they find the sorce?

[Guest]

NLHOBDAY wrote:
Sounds kinda bad!
Did they find the sorce?

Hi Nathan

I'm sure when it gets back into Dover there will be all sorts of agncies crawling all ove to her to find out the cause - that is unless they boarded in Sweden before she left.

I would supect that perhaps if it is Legionnaires' Disease that it may have come from the showers or air conditioning. It is a water generated/ air borne bug - however let the experts male their reports.  :-?

Regards

Steve Ellwood

[Nathan]

im suprised they didnt put it straight into qaurintine! '40 days and 40 nights' :lol:

[Guest]

Hi All

An update on this story:

"Mon 30 Jul 2007
 
Legionnaires' cruise ship due back in the UK

A CRUISE liner at the centre of a suspected outbreak of Legionnaires' disease among a group of elderly holidaymakers is due to return to Britain today.

The Black Watch, which is run by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, was set to arrive back into Dover where it will undergo rigorous cleaning to destroy any potential infection.

Seven elderly Britons who were on a cruise around Lapland are still in a Swedish hospital suffering from symptoms of Legionnaires' after being admitted on Friday.

The ship had left Edinburgh and was on a seven-day cruise to Norway in June when 116 passengers were diagnosed with the Norovirus bug and confined to their cabins.

Less than a month later, the winter vomiting bug struck again when more than 100 passengers fell ill on a trip to Greenland and Iceland.

The holidaymakers - all aged in their 70s and 80s - were taken to hospital after falling ill with "pneumonia-like symptoms" towards the end of the 17-day cruise.

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1185912007

Just heard on BBC Radio that it had been confirmed that the outbreak was Legionnaires' Disease but it unkown whether the sourec was shipside or landside!

Regards

Steve Ellwood

[Chris Hunsicker]

Ship cleared as Legionella source  
 
The Black Watch had been taking passengers on a 17-night cruise
A cruise liner on which two passengers were taken ill with Legionnaires' disease was not the source of the infection, its operator has said.
Two women aboard the Fred Olsen vessel, the Black Watch, who tested positive were among seven passengers who fell ill with flu-like symptoms on Friday.

They are now doing well in hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, said a spokesman.

The ship, which had stopped in Russia, Estonia and Finland, docked in Dover two days early.

The Swedish authorities took water samples from on-board showers, jacuzzis and pools.

The Health Protection Authority is now carrying out cleansing and super-chlorination of the ship in the Kent port.

"The vessel has not been found to be the source of the infection," said Fred Olsen spokeswoman Wendy Hooper-Greenhill.

The Black Watch - part of Ipswich-based Fred Olsen Cruise Lines - is next due to sail on Wednesday to Portugal.

No showers

The 756 passengers, who were mostly British, disembarked at Dover at about 2100 BST on Monday.

Breda Somers, from Kilkenny in Ireland, said: "After a meeting with the captain we were all asked not to have showers so we washed the old-fashioned way using a basin."

Passengers have been offered a 25% discount on the total cost of their holiday.

Two people went to hospital in Ashford, Kent, as a precaution on Monday night.

Dr Mathi Chandrakumar, from the Kent Health Protection Unit, has been on board the Black Watch while it is berthed at Dover.

"They've taken all the necessary steps on our advice and I'm satisfied everything is being done," he said.

The cleaning operation will involve full chlorination of the water system, and the ship's shower heads, saunas and swimming pools being sanitised.