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The close quarters of a cruise ship provide the ideal environment for outbreaks caused by pathogens like norovirus and SARS-CoV-2, and also for the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STI). Federal investigators now report the first identified clusters of cruise-associated mpox.
A total of six patients on two ships were affected during the winter of 2024. On the first ship, three crew members, all sexual partners, developed fever, rash, lymphadenopathy, and cough while at sea. Ship personnel promptly isolated the patients and treated several of their close onboard contacts with postexposure vaccinations. None of the 16 contacts, including sexual partners, cabinmates, and coworkers, became ill.
On the second ship, three passengers…