Investigation Update on the Zaandam

Cruise Line: Holland America Line

Cruise Ship: Zaandam

Voyage Dates: June 18–July 2, 2018

Number of passengers who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of passengers onboard: 95 of 1,472 (6.45%)

Number of crew who have reported being ill during the voyage out of total number of crew onboard: 18 of 591 (3.05%)

Predominant symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea

Causative agent: unknown

Actions: In response to the outbreak, Holland America Group and the crew aboard the ship reported the following actions:

• Increasing cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan.
• Collecting stool specimens from passenger and crew gastrointestinal illness cases for testing.
• Making multiple daily reports of gastrointestinal illness cases to VSP.
• Consulting with CDC on plans for their comprehensive sanitation procedures in Seattle, Washington, on July 2, which may include
  • planning staged disembarkation for active cases to limit the opportunity of illness transmission to well guests and
  • planning for sanitation of terminal and transport infection control procedures.

The CDC Vessel Sanitation Program is monitoring the outbreak and the ship’s response procedures. Specimens have been collected and tested onboard using a norovirus rapid test; results were negative for norovirus. The specimens will be sent to CDC for additional testing.

Note: The gastrointestinal illness cases reported are totals for the entire voyage and do not represent the number of active (symptomatic) gastrointestinal cases at any given port of call or at disembarkation.