CDC Targets Shipboard Illnesses with New Data Collection Push
Published Date: 1/15/2026
Notice
Summary
The CDC wants your thoughts on a plan to collect info about illnesses and deaths among people traveling by ship. This helps stop diseases from coming into the U.S. If you’re involved in maritime travel or health, this affects you. Comments are open until March 16, 2026, and the goal is to keep everyone safer without adding extra hassle or costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Ships must report illnesses and deaths
If you operate or work on a ship in CDC’s reporting jurisdiction, you must report certain illnesses and deaths among a ship’s passengers or crew to CDC. The requirement explicitly covers travelers who disembarked or were removed from the ship and is intended to help prevent introduction or spread of communicable diseases under the Public Health Service Act and 42 CFR parts 70 and 71.
Cruise ships must report respiratory illness rates
Cruise ships are asked to submit cumulative reports of acute respiratory illness (ARI), for example influenza, once per voyage and sooner if 3% or more of crew or passengers are ill with an ARI. This 3% threshold triggers earlier reporting to CDC for public health follow-up.
Estimated time burden for respondents
CDC estimates the combined information-collection will require 828 annual burden hours and states there is no cost to respondents other than their time. The submission includes per-response time estimates (for example, some forms estimated at 10 minutes per response) and aggregates to 828 hours per year.
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