RSSNorwegian Cruise Lines America Confirms former Employee Aboard Pride of America was Diagnosed with Tuberculosis
Norwegian Cruise Lines America has admitted that one of its ex-crew members aboard 
the Pride of America was diagnosed with tuberculosis. However, NCL America did not say whether their employee worked directly with passengers or not. TB screening procedures would seem to be the issue of the day and whether NCL America should not re-examine their. However, when it comes to the cruise line industry this is just one of the many issues that seemed to be overlooked. One does begin to wonder just what is the screening process that NCL America and others have when it comes to hiring employees for infectious and contagious diseases.
It’s unclear whether the cruise employee who got TB on the “Pride of America” worked directly with passengers or whether he worked in the engineering areas of the ship, away from customers, officials said.
In a statement, NCL said, “Anyone who was designated as a potential contact is being appropriately screened, and there is no imminent risk to the public.”
The cruise line said it continues to “work closely with the state and federal health officials to ensure the health and safety of all its guests and crew members.” (Yahoo News)
NCL America, if you are working to ensure the health and safety of your guests and crew members wouldn’t you pre-screen all employees before hire for TB? The nature of the cruise industry of being in contact with others and dealing with closed confined areas would almost seem to warrant it. Instead, NCL America only tests “some” of their employees but failed to say which ones.
The cruise line already tests some of its employees for TB when they’re hired, but state health officials said they want them to be re-tested more frequently than they are now. An NCL spokeswoman did not immediately comment on which of its cruise line employees it tests for TB, but state officials have said repeat testing is important because the disease can take months and years before showing symptoms…
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8 Responses to “Norwegian Cruise Lines America Confirms former Employee Aboard Pride of America was Diagnosed with Tuberculosis”
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Many cruise ship companies come from Third World nations. This is in no way a slur on them, but simply a fact.
Given that health services in some countries are not up to Western standards, one would think that testing for such diseases would be a matter of course.
If not … then do you think criminal records are given closer attention? I doubt it.
Until the early 1980′s anyone going into food service (i.e. working at McDonalds) or health care (regardless of position) was required to have a TB skin test upon acceptance of employment. That was here in the U.S., and in a day when Americans didn’t eat out nearly as much as they do now.
Just read an interesting non-fiction book called “The American Plague” that dealt with the yellow fever epidemic in the U.S. in the late 1800′s/early 1900′s. The mosquitos that carry yellow fever have not been eradicated.
The “old” diseases are still around. The real question is, what are we going to do, here in the U.S. if any of them increase to epidemic proportions? Seems to me that we should all be interested in doing what we can to improve heathcare worldwide.
According to the WHO, nearly 2 billion people (one-third of the world’s population) have TB. scary.
#2 Good post. After we ask what are we going to do in the US if any of these “old ” diseases again increase to epidemic proportions, we can then also ask how are we going to treat certain forms of these diseases that no longer repond to the medications that were once effective i.e.drug resistant TB?
I WAS ON THAT SHIP %/4-11. NCL has not contacted me and informed me of any of this! I got the info from friends who live in Hawaii who read about it.
NCL gets an ear full from me this morning.
Do I need a lawyer?
#4, Old disease Check your states federal clinic, you know the one that the Gov give support o Women Infants and Children, the one that give free condoms to STD AIDS HIV, well they also track and administer a growing TB segment of your town. Old no, its always been there…I do not know why people get so twist off, while all you have to do is look in your own black Yard…Hmm.. Freudian slip, stats show that TB is mostly concentrated in the Black American Population. Oh btw the clinics also help the crazies with meds…
[...] first reported this story in June when Norwegian Cruise Lines America admitted that one of its ex-crew members aboard the Pride of America was diagnosed with tuberculosis. NCL [...]
I worked on that ship for four months and I have never worked for a more unprofessional, screwed up company than Norwegian Cruise Lines America. No mistake or oversight this company does would surprise me. They could care less.