tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Travel Med Infect Dis
. 2025 Aug 6:67:102886.
doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102886. Online ahead of print. Infectious diseases on passenger ships: Port preparedness and response - A narrative systematic review
Johannes A Neumann[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jette Zimmermann[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Marie Frese[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Martin Dirksen-Fischer[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Scarlett Kleine-Kampmann[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Volker Harth[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jan Heidrich[SUP] 2 [/SUP]; EU HEALTHY SAILING project
Affiliations
Background: Ships are environments conducive to the spread of infectious diseases among passengers and crew members. In this context, it is essential to establish effective prevention and control measures to protect the health of passengers and crew members while ensuring that shipping minimizes its contribution to the global spread of disease via ship-to-shore interactions. The aim of this review is to provide knowledge on the impact of infectious diseases on board large passenger ships on the port, the port community and other land-based operations.
Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted, searching the PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases and including additional articles from hand searches up to July 2024. Peer-reviewed studies of infectious disease outbreaks related to large passenger ship travel that described ship-shore interaction, port preparedness and impact on the port community were included. Article selection and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers.
Results: A total of 593 publications were initially identified, with 23 articles included in the analysis. Most studies reported COVID-19 outbreaks on cruise ships; other communicable diseases reported were influenza, gastroenteritis, and varicella. The articles highlighted the importance of comprehensive management plans and proactive risk assessment during infectious disease outbreaks that impact ship-to-shore interactions.
Conclusions: Effective stakeholder collaboration, ship-to-shore communication, coordination of diagnostic testing and medical transport, isolation, and quarantine measures are essential components of infectious disease prevention, mitigation, and management in passenger shipping within the port environment.
Keywords: Communicable disease; Contingency plan; Passenger ships; Port capacities; Preparedness; Public health.
. 2025 Aug 6:67:102886.
doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102886. Online ahead of print. Infectious diseases on passenger ships: Port preparedness and response - A narrative systematic review
Johannes A Neumann[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jette Zimmermann[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Marie Frese[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Martin Dirksen-Fischer[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Scarlett Kleine-Kampmann[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Volker Harth[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jan Heidrich[SUP] 2 [/SUP]; EU HEALTHY SAILING project
Affiliations
- PMID: 40780504
- DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102886
Background: Ships are environments conducive to the spread of infectious diseases among passengers and crew members. In this context, it is essential to establish effective prevention and control measures to protect the health of passengers and crew members while ensuring that shipping minimizes its contribution to the global spread of disease via ship-to-shore interactions. The aim of this review is to provide knowledge on the impact of infectious diseases on board large passenger ships on the port, the port community and other land-based operations.
Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted, searching the PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases and including additional articles from hand searches up to July 2024. Peer-reviewed studies of infectious disease outbreaks related to large passenger ship travel that described ship-shore interaction, port preparedness and impact on the port community were included. Article selection and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers.
Results: A total of 593 publications were initially identified, with 23 articles included in the analysis. Most studies reported COVID-19 outbreaks on cruise ships; other communicable diseases reported were influenza, gastroenteritis, and varicella. The articles highlighted the importance of comprehensive management plans and proactive risk assessment during infectious disease outbreaks that impact ship-to-shore interactions.
Conclusions: Effective stakeholder collaboration, ship-to-shore communication, coordination of diagnostic testing and medical transport, isolation, and quarantine measures are essential components of infectious disease prevention, mitigation, and management in passenger shipping within the port environment.
Keywords: Communicable disease; Contingency plan; Passenger ships; Port capacities; Preparedness; Public health.