Brazil: 340 On Cruise Ship, MSC Sinfonia, Stricken With Mysterious Sickness

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Hundreds of passengers on a Swiss-owned cruise ship were stricken with severe vomiting and diarrhea caused by a mysterious ailment, Brazilian health officials said Thursday.

At least 340 victims have been sickened on the MSC Sinfonia, now docked in Salvador, Bahia, according to a spokeswoman for the National Agency for Sanitary Vigilance. She spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with department policy.

The illness didn't appear to be life-threatening and most passengers were recovering Thursday.

The agency said later in a statement that an inspection found problems with the amount of chlorine in the ship's drinking water and with the storage of some perishable food items, notably mayonnaise.

But officials said they would not know what caused the illness until they wrap up their investigation.

The health agency said the outbreak was under control, and the victims were being interviewed and treated on board the ship. Most fell ill on Monday and Tuesday.

The vessel is owned by MSC Cruises, a division of the Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Co. An MSC Cruises spokeswoman in Sao Paulo declined to comment.

The Sinfonia left Rio de Janeiro on Friday with 2,000 passengers, mostly Brazilians.

Health officials gave approval for the ship to return to Rio, but ordered cruise officials to notify authorities immediately should new cases of illness break out.

Comments

[ObjectiveRealist]

Get well soon.

[HeevenSteven]

Mysterious?? Gee I guess this has never happened before. I'll take a wild shot in the dark and predict Norwalk virus.

[ResistanceisFutile]

It is called boredom.

[marymansour]

Food poisoning goes by many names.

[moAb]

Norwalk virus as well as any number of other viruses. Also, residue of toxins on poorly cleaned seafoods.

[binq56]

Half my friends have had the same flu in the past week. It is everywhere.

[janinius]

I had a similar stomach flu during the holidays - horrible indeed

[Tatiana]

Cruises are over-rated.
Only been on one but didn't care for it so much.
I like being on my own schedule.
I bet no one cares....
Just throwin' it out but this happens way too often.
Viral illnesses that effect a closed-in group of people
can kill, quickly. Or make you deathly ill.
Gross to think that the service workers ARE NOT washing their hands!

[SouthJerseySteve]

I agree--wait until the 5000+ mega ships sail and 1/2 the ship gets food poisoning.­..

[marymansour]

I enjoyed two and then realized 2 was enough.

[outnow]

Noro-virus is probably the cause. I always get sick on board cruises so I don't take any nowadays. The viruses are lodged in the air conditioning ducts and distributed into the passengers quarters. No surprise there. You couldn't get me on one of these ships. The longer the cruise, the more certain the contracting of a virus. You don't know where that ship has been and whose on it.