One woman is dead and several are reported to be unwell on the Pacific Jewel cruise ship docked off Cairns after what a family member of the deceased alleged was an outbreak of gastroenteritis.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that 79-year-old Margaret Carlson was found dead in her room, several days after showing signs of gastro and being told by onboard medical staff that she likely brought the bug onto the ship with her.
P&O Cruises have acknowledged Carlson’s death but deny that there is a gastro outbreak on the ship. “An elderly passenger sadly passed away on Saturday on Pacific Jewel and our thoughts are with her family,” the spokesperson told the SMH. “There is no reported gastro outbreak onboard the ship.”
It’s worth mentioning that there is no obligation on the part of P&O to report a gastro outbreak, as it is not considered a ‘notifiable’ condition. Another passenger was airlifted off the craft yesterday for reasons that have not yet been divulged.
Gastroenteritis can be a huge problem on cruise ships, given how communicable it is and the close quarters in which passengers co-exist. Once someone gets it, it doesn’t take much for everyone on the ship to get it. Cruise liners spend millions of dollars trying to stamp out gastro bugs – like the norovirus – every year.
Got any tips about this story? Do you know somebody on the ship? Shoot us an email at editor@pedestriangroup.com.au.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Photo: Getty Images.
