Cholera on Haiti

[HB Cruiser]

It would be nice if posters would look and take note that a thread was started on this early this morning instead of starting new ones....I know I always try scanning before I start a new thread on any subject...;)

 

And we are glad the Mods combined the two. ;)

 

Tim

[Ashland]

And we are glad the Mods combined the two. ;)

 

Tim

The Mods are on top of their game as usual....;):D

[BND]

Not going to Labadee will not change the status of the Haitians. Also, the risk on Labadee is extremely minimal. I bet they said they "might" have a meeting to calm some of the more emotional people down. The risk for malaria in Dominican Republic is higher, yet they continue going there and that's transmitted by mosquitoes not through food and water that cruisers won't even be near.

[Merion_Mom]

This is truly tragic for the Haitian people. It is precisely the sort of water-born, contaminant-based disease that has been feared since the earthquake.

 

The important part of that NYT article:

 

"Victims can lose as much as 10 quarts of water a day through diarrhea and die because their electrolytes get out of balance, causing a heart attack, or their blood gets so thick that their organs shut down. It can be fought by rehydrating victims with intravenous fluids and water with salts and sugars. It can be headed off by trucking in clean water or huge filters that can clean local water."

 

If in some horrid circumstances, a cruise ship passenger came down with cholera, s/he is in the best possible situation to be rehydrated.

[Tatka]

We will be on October 28th Explorer cruise.. We are scheduled to stop at Labadee on October 31st. I hope we'll make this stop. Labadee is absolutely gorgeous. :)

[Host Kewlguy]

The Mods are on top of their game as usual....;):D

 

Three threads are combined here. :)

[Merion_Mom]

Three threads are combined here. :)

 

Now THAT'S talent! ;)

[Barnaby100]

I have had cholera. It is horrific. It can be spread person to person- for example in the urine or faeces of an infected person- who then doesn't wash their hands and prepares food or even drink for you. That is how I got it- in a restaurant.

 

I was healthy- I almost died- 6 weeks in hospital- major surgery.

 

If they are appealing for donations via aid agencies please give if you can afford it.

[negc]

No one is encouraging panic......but people should be kept informed when there is an outbreak of a terrible disease that is highly contagious and spreading quickly.

 

I'm glad while you are there that you will have the vision to know everything you touch and drink will be 100% disease free.

 

When people are saying that there is a high risk of contracting cholera while in Labadee and are saying the RCI should cancel this port of call because there has been an outbreak of it in isolated areas remote from Labadee, and indicating that people should stay on board, it comes close to inciting panic, IMO. It is generally not contagious as far as person to person contact, as long as good hygiene measures are observed and people avoid drinking contaminated water or eating unwashed fruit or vegetables. "A little knowledge is a dangerous think, drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring." No one knows with certainty that everything that they eat or drink is 100% safe but a little common sense goes a long way to insuring that one's risk is minimal.

[Guest maddycat]

It is generally not contagious as far as person to person contact, as long as good hygiene measures are observed and people avoid drinking contaminated water or eating unwashed fruit or vegetables.

 

I sail on the Explorer on 10/28. If our first port is still Labadee, I will not be leaving the ship. I just hope that no one becomes ill while on the island. I've seen too many people use the rest rooms on the ship and never stop to wash their hands.

[UNV-IT!!!]

Can you people really be this ignorant. dont read two lines of some article and start making crazy claims like rcl needs to pull out because of issues at basically the other side of an entire island. If your that worried dont get off the ship. or dont drink the local water. simple no problem. rccl brought and still brings aid through labadee. and after this crisis they will do more i'm sure. they wouldnt put their customers at risk. that would be beyond the biggest lawsuit in the world. take a ship full of people to a place known to have a serious virus and give the passangers no worning. lol right :cool:

[THEWIFE]

maddycat: If you are that concerned, you should make it a point to not drink or eat out of anyone's hands, since, as you stated, they might not have washed. If everyone thinks that this is Panic Time, then maybe you shouldn't fly, either. You never know who is sitting nearby and what they might carry (maybe the dreadee cholera).

 

You can remain on the ship if you like. I'll wave to you from shore. All the food you eat in Labadee, as mentioned by a previous poster, is from the ship. I doubt that any passenger will lap the water out of a puddle on Haiti, but then you wouldn't do that in the States, either.

 

negc has some sound advice. I'm glad that there are some level heads prevailing here.

 

Have fun and don't worry about what you might catch. You have about as much chance of "catching" cholera as of "catching" diabetes. :D

[TJM965]

I'm sure glad that someone called RCL to make sure they knew of the situation.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[granghee]

Now THAT'S talent! ;)

 

Hi Tony, glad to see u again.....:D

I have been to Labadee and enjoyed it, but would not go there willingly now, even though there are other places w/ risks, but when they TELL you, it is like Mexico. Don't go there. Scary....

and I have to fly to Paris soon w/ strikes and no gasoline...OMG:eek:

[Merion_Mom]

Can you people really be this ignorant. dont read two lines of some article and start making crazy claims like rcl needs to pull out because of issues at basically the other side of an entire island. If your that worried dont get off the ship. or dont drink the local water. simple no problem. rccl brought and still brings aid through labadee. and after this crisis they will do more i'm sure. they wouldnt put their customers at risk. that would be beyond the biggest lawsuit in the world. take a ship full of people to a place known to have a serious virus and give the passangers no worning. lol right :cool:

 

Cholera is not a virus.

 

There is no cholera virus that infects humans. In humans, cholera is caused by bacteria (Vibrio cholerae). A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food that is contaminated with the cholera bacterium. There are two ways that Vibrio cholerae usually gets into water or food:

 

 

* Contaminated feces

* Naturally.

 

 

Cholera Virus in Pigs

However, there is a cholera virus that infects pigs. This hog cholera virus causes swine fever. Pigs cannot transmit the hog cholera virus to humans; therefore, contact with an infected pig will not put a person at risk for becoming ill.

[arcticcatmatt]

Me and my new bride will be on the 10/28 cruise explorer of the seas. We will be in Haiti on halloween.

 

We booked a thing where we drink rum on a sand bar for many hours. We are also doing a hatian cultural tour.

 

I have 2 spleens from a snowmobile accident and weakened immune system from it. We spent alot of money on these excursions, hope we don't have to cancel them, that would suck!!!!!!!

here is the cultural tour where they give us a drink from the bar so perhaps we shoudl not take it

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?sourcePage=shorexByPort&ProductCode=ZL34&DestinationCode=

[Merion_Mom]

Me and my new bride will be on the 10/28 cruise explorer of the seas. We will be in Haiti on halloween.

 

We booked a thing where we drink rum on a sand bar for many hours. We are also doing a hatian cultural tour.

 

I have 2 spleens from a snowmobile accident and weakened immune system from it. We spent alot of money on these excursions, hope we don't have to cancel them, that would suck!!!!!!!

 

Well, if you cancel more than 24 hours ahead of time, you'll get your money back. (if that is any consolation)

[BND]

Me and my new bride will be on the 10/28 cruise explorer of the seas. We will be in Haiti on halloween.

 

We booked a thing where we drink rum on a sand bar for many hours. We are also doing a hatian cultural tour.

 

I have 2 spleens from a snowmobile accident and weakened immune system from it. We spent alot of money on these excursions, hope we don't have to cancel them, that would suck!!!!!!!

here is the cultural tour where they give us a drink from the bar so perhaps we shoudl not take it

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?sourcePage=shorexByPort&ProductCode=ZL34&DestinationCode=

 

2 spleens? I know spleens are removed sometimes when damaged, but I've never heard of one being added.

[retiredonthesea]

We booked a cabanna on Labadee for Nov. 2nd and very much plan to use it. The food comes off the ship and they supply bottle water. I think the ice ect. also comes off the ship. I'am am NOT going to let this ruin our cruise!!

 

I very much feel for the people of Labadee and will continue to send my support to this unfortunate country!!

[billie5]

Under what bizarre scenario can one envision catching cholera on Labadee, with ship's food and ship personnel cooking and serving? It seems evident that some people just can't do risk analysis, as I will bet that most of them would be willing to drive to a relative's house the day before Thanksgiving (traditionally the worst day for fatalities in the U.S. for those in motor vehicles).

 

Bill

[jo anne]

Hi Cruisers: We just called RCCI ~ They are aware of the situation in Haiti. They may be planning a meeting in Florida to discuss options..When they have made a decision it will be posted on the main page of RCCI (Home Page)...

 

We're leaving 11/7 and our first Port after 2 day sailing is to be Haiti..Anxious to know what the status is. Just hoping they get Cholera under control for the sake of all the Haitian people. Our Port stop is the least important thing to think about.

 

JMO

glad to hear that will watch out for what they decide as am still a bit anxious about it thanks for all the info everybody

[BND]

The most recent article I saw said the fear is that it will spread to the tent cities, not that it will spread to aid workers, tourists or even locals who have access to clean water in their homes. So far it's affected mostly rural communities. But even there, workers who are taking precautions such as drinking bottled water and preparting their own food aren't getting sick. This is not a risk for Labadee at all. I really wish people would do some real research before having a knee jerk reaction and panicking. I'm sure RCI will meet on Monday as most companies have staff meetings then, but I also think they're trying to calm people down who are overreacting.

 

Haiti's biggest issue is getting the water treatment systems all in place and people actually using them. Haiti has received a huge amount of financial aid over the last several decades and will continue to do so. They have been made so dependent on the organizations that are there, that it will take them much longer to recover from the earthquake than it ever should. There is corruption at the upper levels and until the people can take care of themselves, they will continue to have trouble recovering from anything.

[loving2cruise]

just wondering will RCI pull out of Haiti now its been confirmed about the Cholera outbreak?

 

 

 

I came over here to cruise critic to ask the very same question. The story is on the TV news this morning. Check out the link.

 

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39787756/ns/health-infectious_diseases/39775019

[loving2cruise]

According to CNN they have had 138 confirmed deaths in a 48hr period. If I was going to the area I would be VERY concerned......

 

 

 

I am VERY concerned about this too, as I will be going to Haiti soon.

[loving2cruise]

I am VERY concerned about this too, as I will be going to Haiti soon.

 

 

194 deaths

 

2,364 confirmed cases.