Passenger dies aboard 'virus' ship

Published on Monday 6 July 2009 21:56

A PASSENGER has died after a major outbreak of a vomiting bug on a cruise liner berthed in the Highlands.

The 74-year-old man suffered a fatal heart attack as 150 cases of what is suspected to be an outbreak of the norovirus hit the Marco Polo in Invergordon, Easter Ross.

The cruise liner is currently carrying 800 passengers and 350 crew.

Last night, two people were admitted to Raigmore Hospital after showing symptoms of norovirus.

NHS Highland said yesterday that the man had serious underlying health conditions and that until a post mortem had been carried out, it was not possible to rule out whether or not he had the virus or if it had contributed to his death.

Police said the man, who was from the Norwich area and had been on holiday with his wife, was reported dead shortly after 9:30am yesterday.

A Transocean Tours of Bremen said its medical team on board the ship was dealing with an unconfirmed virus that causes a form of gastroenteritis.

A company spokesman said of the death: "In an unrelated incident today, a 74-year-old male passenger, with chronic heart and breathing problems, suffered a fatal heart attack on board ship and paramedics were unable to resuscitate him."

Dr Ken Oates, Interim Director of Public Health at NHS Highland, said: "NHS Highland is reassuring people that there is no risk to the health of the local community."

The Marco Polo arrived in Invergordon yesterday had been due to leave at 6pm. The Marco Polo had sailed the previous day from Tilbury in London on a cruise around the British Isles, with Orkney and Stornoway the next intended destinations. But the liner remained in harbour last night as doctors and ambulance crews attended to the sick passengers.

The Transocean Tours spokesman said port health officials inspected the ship yesterday and allowed passengers who were not unwell to go ashore.

He said: "The management of Transocean Tours, working closely with the ship owners, Story Cruise Ltd, has taken full responsibility for the co-ordination of the standard Health Protection Agency protocols that are implemented in such circumstances to minimise the effect of the virus and eradicate it."

But last night Cromarty Firth SNP councillor Maxine Smith questioned why passengers were allowed to go ashore: "They have been allowed to go into local cafes and shops when apparently this virus is spread by touch.

"This is really concerning.

"They say it's an ordinary flu virus but nobody really wants any kind of virus to be spread in their community.

"Nobody has told us anything. At the moment the ship is there and it's like some kind of secret service operation."

The norovirus affects between 600,000 and one million people in the UK every year.

Outbreaks of the illness are common, particularly within contained environments such as hospitals, nursing homes and schools.

This is because the norovirus spreads very easily from person to person and it can survive for several days in a contaminated area.