An ‘outbreak’, in very simple terms is defined as prevalence of an infectious disease in a population. In the context of merchant ships, an outbreak is when multiple crew members are infected by the same infectious disease. In the confines of the onboard environment, infectious diseases can spread rapidly from one crew member to another.
Containing an outbreak may seem challenging, but the key is early detection, as it allows the onboard and onshore management to implement control measures in a timely manner. This can be achieved in three simple steps all of which must be set out in one way or another in vessel’s ‘Outbreak Management Plan’ (OMP):
– Managing infections and suspect cases onboard.
-Control measures to reduce exposure of uninfected crew. This will also include carrying and distribution of protective equipment.
-Handling ship-shore interactions.
-Reporting format to be used when contacting managers and port authorities.
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Testing and monitoring.
