During February 25 to April 14, 14 additional rash illness cases were detected only among crew members: one through medical record review and 13 through passive surveillance in the ship’s infirmary (Figure 1). During the onboard medical log review, a case of probable varicella was identified in a 23-year-old Filipino crew member, who boarded the ship to work in food services, and 22 days find more later was diagnosed with varicella

in the ship’s infirmary. Thirteen crew members visited the infirmary with a rash illness. Of these, two met the case definition for confirmed measles (one by serology, and one by clinical diagnosis by the ship’s physician and epidemiologic link to the confirmed case); ten met the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists case definition for varicella[8] (six were confirmed by clinical characteristics and an epidemiologic link, and the remaining four were probable cases by clinical diagnosis only); and one case of rash illness remained undiagnosed and did not have laboratory evidence of acute rubella or measles and did not meet the case definition for measles, rubella, or varicella (Figure 1). The two additional cases of measles were among crew members employed in food services or entertainment;

the additional varicella cases occurred among crew members from various shipboard occupations (ie, food services, galley, housekeeping, engineering, and entertainment). All these cases were among crew members who had been aboard the ship for at least one incubation period of either measles or varicella. Of 1,197 crew members evaluated for proof of buy Pifithrin-�� immunity, 3 had proof of immunity to measles and rubella based on vaccination records. During pre-immunization counseling, three crew members were found to be pregnant; of those, one had serological evidence of immunity to rubella and measles and two were susceptible PIK-5 and disembarked for clinical monitoring because of their exposure to rubella.

The remaining 1,191 crew members received the MMR vaccine after giving informed consent. The MMR vaccine was supplied by BCHD (with cost reimbursement from the cruise line), whose nursing staff performed counseling and administration of the vaccine. Close contacts of varicella cases were defined as those having ≥ 5 minutes of face-to-face contact with the case during the infectious period (1–2 d before rash onset until lesions crust or 6 d after rash onset).[9] Contacts meeting this definition were identified only among crew members (eg, crew roommate and workmates) and those who were susceptible[9] were monitored for onset of fever or rash for 21 days after their last exposure to a varicella case. To suspend continued varicella transmission, with the detection of third generation cases, the cruise line also offered the varicella vaccine to susceptible contacts.