Hepatitis E Outbreak Among Cruise Ship Passengers

Overall, 4% of passengers returning from a 3-month world cruise tested positive for recent HEV infection; one third of these individuals had symptomatic hepatitis.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes sporadic infection and occasional large outbreaks, primarily in developing countries. However, this report describes an outbreak that occurred among passengers on a 3-month world cruise in 2008.

After receiving reports of four cases of acute hepatitis E among returning cruise ship passengers, the U.K. Health Protection Agency launched an investigation. They sent letters to 2850 U.K. passengers who had traveled for any part of the same 3-month world cruise.

Among 789 passengers who had blood samples tested by ELISA for IgM and IgG HEV antibodies, 33 (4%) were IgM and IgG positive, suggesting recent acute infection, and 162 (21%) were IgG positive only, indicating past infection. IgM-positive samples were tested f…

Reviewing Author

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Hepatitis E Outbreak Among Cruise Ship Passengers

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Reviewing Author