Chikungunya Fever now "endemic" in St Maarten

This deadly mosquito borne virus is currently running rampant throughout the Caribbean, with ground zero centered squarely in St Maarten.

Does anyone have any information regarding infected cruise line passengers, any reported cases etc.

These outbreaks tend to be cyclical and can disappear within a season, but it sounds a little hairy out there right now. There is a lot of information in the mainstream media and I would encourage you to do your own research, there is also an entry on the CDC website, but does anyone have any information on how, and if, this is impacting the cruise lines?

Thanks for bringing this up for discussion. We are traveling in a few weeks on Getaway and St Maarten is out first port. I am eager to read replies to this post.

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I think you need to do just a little more research before you start some sort of cruise critic panic. Is it to much to visit the CDC website before using the word "deadly"?

Latest reports are it is now in 23 States.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2014/06/us-chikungunya-cases-jump-74-23-states

I read a report about 6 - 7 months ago about Ckikungunya and the number of cases on St. Maarten. The majority of cases were on the French side. In most cases it is not deadly but the recovery time can be six months to a year. It is Dengue Fever which is deadly but for those with positive outcomes the recovery period is much shorter, just a few weeks.

I think you need to do just a little more research before you start some sort of cruise critic panic. Is it to much to visit the CDC website before using the word "deadly"?

It has already killed 6 people, I believe that meets the generally held definition of "deadly".

It has already killed 6 people, I believe that meets the generally held definition of "deadly".

Thank you for sharing this information. We were there in April without incident but I will continue to check in to see if there are any updates. We are going back next year.

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/chikungunya-saint-martin

Not really a whole lot to worry about at this point. Just a few common preventative measures to think about is about it.

We just got back from our July cruise including a day in St Maarten. It turned out to be the best port we visited. We were very concerned about the virus. We were a group of 9 aged from 23 months to 70 years. We were everywhere on the island with Bernard Tours. Never had any problem with bugs. Most of us used bug spray but not all of us. No bites. We were told that dawn & dusk were the times of day when the Mosquitos are more likely to be out. We all agreed that we would not hesitate to go back. Enjoy your time there.

Chikungunya virus is transmitted to people by mosquitoes. The most common symptoms of chikungunya virus infection are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.

Use insect repellents

• Repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon eucalyptus and para-menthane-diol products provide long lasting protection.
  
• If you use both sunscreen and insect repellent, apply the sunscreen first and then the repellent.
  
• Do not spray repellent on the skin under your clothing.
  
• Treat clothing with permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated clothing.
  
• Always follow the label instructions when using insect repellent or sunscreen.
  

For those of you prone to concerns over tropical illnesses, Dengue is the one to be concerned about. It is also know as "break bone fever" because the infected person feels as if his bones are being broken. It is a mosquito vectored virus through out all of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and South America. As the climate warms it is moving North into the Gulf area. There has been a case(s) in Florida.

From the CDC:

With more than one-third of the world’s population living in areas at risk for infection, dengue virus is a leading cause of illness and death in the tropics and subtropics. As many as 400 million people are infected yearly. Dengue is caused by any one of four related viruses transmitted by mosquitoes. There are not yet any vaccines to prevent infection with dengue virus and the most effective protective measures are those that avoid mosquito bites. When infected, early recognition and prompt supportive treatment can substantially lower the risk of medical complications and death.

Dengue has emerged as a worldwide problem only since the 1950s. Although dengue rarely occurs in the continental United States, it is endemic in Puerto Rico and in many popular tourist destinations in Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands

There is a hemorrhgic form of the virus that is more deadly.

It has already killed 6 people, I believe that meets the generally held definition of "deadly".

Not here in the U.S. it hasn't. CDC reports no deaths, one week recovery period and treat with rest and water. Far from deadly? French Guiana (the old Devil's Island) has had many deaths, but is a very poor island with many issues. Also couldn't find any death reports from the Caribbean. What is your source?

Chikungunya treatment

CDC:

• There is no medicine to treat chikungunya virus infection or disease.
  
• Decrease the symptoms:
  
  • Get plenty of rest
    
  • Drink fluids to prevent dehydration
    
  • Take medicines, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, or paracetamol, to relieve fever and pain.
    

   

No one over the decades that Dengue has been endemic to the same region has been deterred from taking cruises.

WebMD: There is no specific medicine to treat dengue infection. If you think you may have dengue fever, you should use pain relievers with acetaminophen and avoid medicines with aspirin, which could worsen bleeding. You should also rest, drink plenty of fluids, and see your doctor. If you start to feel worse in the first 24 hours after your fever goes down, you should get to a hospital immediately to be checked for complications.

Dengue is most often afflict poor areas where water is left standing.

Not here in the U.S. it hasn't. CDC reports no deaths, one week recovery period and treat with rest and water. Far from deadly? French Guiana (the old Devil's Island) has had many deaths, but is a very poor island with many issues. Also couldn't find any death reports from the Caribbean. What is your source?

The numbers are being reported everywhere, here's the first one that Google stumbled across - 4,000 confirmed cases, 31,000 suspected cases, and 6 dead......

http://www.680news.com/2014/05/07/video-chikungunya-virus-sweeping-caribbean-islands/

Also 81 cases reported in Florida, with the last 15 all confirmed as "travelers returning from the Caribbean" - there's your cruise clue, Miami? Getaway?. Is anyone joining the dots with me here? Hence me asking the original question - has anyone heard of cruisers being affected?

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/81-Cases-of-Mosquito-Virus-Chikungunya-Now-Tallied-in-Florida-267318411.html

The numbers are being reported everywhere, here's the first one that Google stumbled across - 4,000 confirmed cases, 31,000 suspected cases, and 6 dead......

 

http://www.680news.com/2014/05/07/video-chikungunya-virus-sweeping-caribbean-islands/

 

Also 81 cases reported in Florida, with the last 15 all confirmed as "travelers returning from the Caribbean" - there's your cruise clue, Miami? Getaway?. Is anyone joining the dots with me here? Hence me asking the original question - has anyone heard of cruisers being affected?

 

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/81-Cases-of-Mosquito-Virus-Chikungunya-Now-Tallied-in-Florida-267318411.html

Have you cruised the Caribbean over the last several decades and exhibited the same level of concern for Dengue?

From WHO:

Cases across the Americas, South-east Asia and Western Pacific have exceeded 1.2 million cases in 2008 and over 2.3 million in 2010 (based on official data submitted by Member States). Recently the number of reported cases has continued to increase. In 2013, 2.35 million cases of dengue were reported in the Americas alone, of which 37 687 cases were severe dengue.

I am far more concerned with West Nile or "Triple 'E' " up in New England.

Two factors:

• mosquitoes can be protected against with deet and other chemicals
  
• mosquitoes are more nocturnal and cruisers are not exposed when they on board and the ship has departed.
  

If you are deeply concerned do not go on excursions that will take into poorer communities and perhaps rain forests.

Tropical mosquito vectored viruses are going to increase in the USA due to global warming

Please stop fear mongering. It is good to be informed, but no need to change your travel plans. "Running rampant"? According to the CDC, this infection "rarely" results in death. The majority "feel better in 1 week". Only a small percentage may develop the joint pain which may linger for months, similar to the tick fever that one can acquire here in the US. Or the mosquito borne West Nile virus, which if I am not mistaken, can lead to some nasty encephalitis. So, do you recommend travelers avoid the US as well?

And as far as related deaths, the flu, I am sure kills thousands yearly with it's nasty complications for those at higher risk. But I doubt if anyone will alter their travel plans due to it's presence.

We just need to use common sense. I am not going to be traipsing around in marshy wooded areas. I will be on the beach in the hot sun with a good offshore breeze. St Martin is working hard to contain this problem and conducts regular sprays. Their tourist industry is at stake, as is the health of their citizens. They conduct regular sprays to prevent mosquitoes and kill existing ones. Just like they do here at home to kill the Mosquitos in my back yard, which may be infected with West Nile. In our two recent trips, we saw not a single mosquito.

Believe me, if scores of passengers were being infected you would hear about it on cruise critic.

Not here in the U.S. it hasn't. CDC reports no deaths, one week recovery period and treat with rest and water. Far from deadly? French Guiana (the old Devil's Island) has had many deaths, but is a very poor island with many issues. Also couldn't find any death reports from the Caribbean. What is your source?

French Guiana is not an island...

Please stop fear mongering.

 

Believe me, if scores of passengers were being infected you would hear about it on cruise critic.

Making people aware of risk is never fear-mongering, it's simply being informed. I note with interest that NCL and other cruise lines make no mention of these health advisories, perhaps NCL media relations employees don't like fear mongering either.

How many think to pack Deet or Permethrin for cruises, probably none. How many know to avoid being outdoors at dusk, probably none.

Be aware of the risk and act accordingly, better a healthy fear mongerer than an infected blissninny.

Making people aware of risk is never fear-mongering, it's simply being informed. I note with interest that NCL and other cruise lines make no mention of these health advisories, perhaps NCL media relations employees don't like fear mongering either.

That is fine, but there is no greater risk today than a year ago.

How many think to pack Deet or Permethrin for cruises, probably none. How many know to avoid being outdoors at dusk, probably none.

As I said, the risk at home for mosquito vectored virus is probably greater since we are out at dusk and beyond while at home.

Be aware of the risk and act accordingly, better a healthy fear mongerer than an infected blissninny.

Hey mate, it is that noro virus I fear on a cruise!

Making people aware of risk is never fear-mongering, it's simply being informed. I note with interest that NCL and other cruise lines make no mention of these health advisories, perhaps NCL media relations employees don't like fear mongering either.

 

How many think to pack Deet or Permethrin for cruises, probably none. How many know to avoid being outdoors at dusk, probably none.

 

Be aware of the risk and act accordingly, better a healthy fear mongerer than an infected blissninny.

As I said, it is good to be informed, and this topic was discussed more than once on the St Martin board in the Ports of Call Forum here on Cruise Critic. If you were simply letting cruisers know about it I have no problem with that. But it sounds like you are writing headlines for some of the tabloids with statements like "This deadly mosquito borne virus is currently running rampant throughout the Caribbean, with ground zero centered squarely in St Martin".

Everyone has to asses whether or not they think this is a risk to them if they are traveling to St Martin. The CDC has made NO recommendation that you do NOT travel to St Martin, only that you take the common sense precautions anyone would take. I would worry more if I were taking a land vacation there and would be out and about at all hours of the day and night rather than a few daylight hours on one day only.

It would be wise for anyone traveling out of the country to check for CDC advisories. But it is not the cruise lines responsibility to warn us anymore than a plane transporting me to some country is required to warn me about Malaria or Yellow Fever. ( or not to drink the water in Mexico, LOL.)

We've been to St Maarten twice since April and saw no sign of any mosquitos. They had begun spraying infected areas. We will be there again in December. I thought the same thing about dusk but the mosquitoes that carry the fever are out during the day. Be smart. Avoid marshy and wooded areas where they thrive. Use deet bug spray...wipes are very convenient and less messy but will remove or smudge nail polish. I live in NJ and despite all the efforts of the surrounding communities to eradicate mosquitoes, there are still deaths every year from West Nile Virus and many more are sickened. Be informed. Be smart. Be factual. Enjoy your vacation.

French Guiana is not an island...

Yeah!! My fingers were faster than my thought process. Of course it is a country on the coast of South America and home to the islands that were called Devils Island.

On the other note: a AM radio station in Canada reports that there were 6 deaths, we know not where? 6 deaths world wide is not a major issue. Fear mongering is a correct descriptions! A couple of the mosquito born diseases already here in the States are a much bigger concern. I don't think NCL or any of the other cruise lines are covering up anything. They do a pretty fair job of telling folks to do research on their destinations. CDC is readily available for anyone that wants to look.

My husband was on a mission trip in Jamaica back in 2007. He was bitten by a mosquito and the bite resulted in dengue fever. Once you have dengue fever, you have it for life. If you get it again, there is a high risk of serious health problems developing. He came home from the trip, and started complaining of flu like symptoms. We took him to the hospital because his fever was steadily increasing every 20 minutes. They ran a battery of tests and then quarantined us because they thought he had TB. He was sent to an infectious disease doctor who ran more blood tests and after a few days dengue fever was diagnosed. The biggest concern was his enlarged spleen and he wasn't allowed to leave the couch for a week for fear his spleen would rupture. They pumped him full of meds, poor guy. Thank God he is well today, but that was scary. We are sailing the western carribean in August and will not be getting off the boat in Jamaica!! Wear bug spray and take precautions, that's all you can do.

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My husband was on a mission trip in Jamaica back in 2007. He was bitten by a mosquito and the bite resulted in dengue fever. [...]

We are sailing the western carribean in August and will not be getting off the boat in Jamaica!! Wear bug spray and take precautions, that's all you can do.

While on a cruise, if you have taken "deet" like protection, I would think your chance of getting infected is small. I taught with a man who also caught Dengue while living in Nicaragua over a summer break. He said he was fevered and in pain for about two weeks, then woke up one day and it was gone.

We've been to St Maarten twice since April and saw no sign of any mosquitos. They had begun spraying infected areas. We will be there again in December. I thought the same thing about dusk but the mosquitoes that carry the fever are out during the day. Be smart. Avoid marshy and wooded areas where they thrive. Use deet bug spray...wipes are very convenient and less messy but will remove or smudge nail polish. I live in NJ and despite all the efforts of the surrounding communities to eradicate mosquitoes, there are still deaths every year from West Nile Virus and many more are sickened. Be informed. Be smart. Be factual. Enjoy your vacation.

We cruisers are more at risk for West Nile and triple-E because it is local, it's where we live. As cruisers by dark we are off shore and away from any risk. Could you get unlucky and connect with one bad mosquito? Sure, but I am more likely to pick 6 lucky numbers.