Cruise ship acute gastroenteritis incidence decreased overall but higher on larger ships and longer voyages

This surveillance summary examined acute gastroenteritis incidence among passengers and crew on cruise ships in the United States from 2006 through 2019. The analysis found that overall incidence of acute gastroenteritis decreased during this 14-year period, though specific incidence rates and absolute numbers were not reported. The intervention or exposure was not specified, and no comparator group was defined.

The surveillance data indicated that acute gastroenteritis incidence was higher on larger ships and during longer cruises for both passengers and crew. No effect sizes, absolute numbers, p-values, or confidence intervals were provided for these associations. Safety and tolerability data, including adverse events and discontinuations, were not reported in this summary.

Key limitations include the observational nature of surveillance data, which cannot establish causality. The specific study design details, sample size, follow-up duration, and primary outcomes were not reported. Funding sources and conflicts of interest were also not disclosed. The practice relevance of these findings is limited to informing surveillance patterns rather than guiding specific clinical interventions, as the data show associations rather than causal relationships.