CDC Monitors Cruise Ship Stomach Bugs to Prevent Outbreak Mayhem
Published Date: 11/21/2025
Notice
Summary
The CDC wants your thoughts on a new plan to track stomach bugs on cruise ships using the Maritime Illness Database and Reporting System (MIDRS). This helps keep travelers safe by spotting outbreaks early and improving ship cleanliness. If you’re involved in cruise health or just curious, you can comment until January 20, 2026—no extra costs, just better health info!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Large time burden on ship medical staff
If you are cruise ship medical staff or a designated ship reporting person, you must submit AGE (acute gastroenteritis) reports to MIDRS at specified times (e.g., reports due 24 hours before arrival and 4 hours before arrival) and keep daily AGE logs and surveillance records. CDC requests OMB approval for an estimated 5,769,395 annual burden hours for the MIDRS data collection and the current OMB Control No. expires 2026-03-31.
Travelers benefit from earlier outbreak detection
MIDRS lets the Vessel Sanitation Program spot acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreaks on cruise ships quickly, provide epidemiologic and sanitation guidance, and craft public health recommendations to prevent future transmission and outbreaks. CDC says MIDRS helps the agency monitor AGE illness trends and respond when outbreaks occur.
Crew and passengers must fill health questionnaires
Cruise ship crew and passengers who are AGE cases must complete 72-hour food/activity history questionnaires and other assessments; CDC’s table estimates, for example, 45,000 passenger questionnaires (10 minutes each, totaling 7,500 burden hours) and 18,000 crew case questionnaires (10 minutes each, totaling 3,000 burden hours). These forms are used for surveillance and outbreak investigations.
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