Lessons learned for COVID-19 in the cruise ship industry.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created widespread disruption in individuals' personal and occupational lives all around the world. Vacationers and tourism, recreation, and leisure employees were among those who experienced substantial disruption. Cruise ships, especially, faced turmoil on a global scale for both their customers and workers. COVID-19 outbreaks were reported on cruise ships beginning in February 2020, presenting new and unique challenges for the industry. Conditions on cruise ships, including close and frequent contact between passengers and crew members, use of common areas, the confined nature of the vessels, and gathering of passengers from different countries, aided in transmitting the disease both onboard and in the community. As the pandemic evolved, federal and state governments and industries worldwide, including cruise ship companies, developed response plans. In this article, we provide a high-level overview of the US government and cruise ship industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a brief commentary on lessons learned, and recommendations for the cruise ship sector going forward. The outlined suggestions may be used as a starting point to increase emergency preparedness and to inform outbreak response plans in the event of future infectious disease outbreaks.

An assessment of drinking water contamination with Helicobacter pylori in Lima, Peru.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is a gut bacterium that is the primary cause of gastric cancer. H. pylori infection has been consistently associated with lack of access to sanitation and clean drinking water. In this study, we conducted time-series sampling of drinking water in Lima, Peru, to examine trends of H. pylori contamination and other water characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Drinking water samples were collected from a single faucet in Lima's Lince district 5 days per week from June 2015 to May 2016, and pH, temperature, free available chlorine, and conductivity were measured. Quantities of H. pylori in all water samples were measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Relationships between the presence/absence and quantity of H. pylori and water characteristics in the 2015-2016 period were examined using regression methods accounting for the time-series design. RESULTS: Forty-nine of 241 (20.3%) of drinking water samples were contaminated with H. pylori. Statistical analyses identified no associations between sampling date and the likelihood of contamination with H. pylori. Statistically significant relationships were found between lower temperatures and a lower likelihood of the presence of H. pylori (P < .05), as well as between higher pH and higher quantities of H. pylori (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: This study has provided evidence of the presence of H. pylori DNA in the drinking water of a single drinking water faucet in the Lince district of Lima. However, no seasonal trends were observed. Further studies are needed to determine the presence of H. pylori in other drinking water sources in other districts in Lima, as well as to determine the viability of H. pylori in these water sources. Such studies would potentially allow for better understanding and estimates of the risk of infection due to exposure to H. pylori in drinking water.

Risk characterisation of milk protein contamination in milk-alternative ice cream products sold as frozen desserts in the United States.

Milk protein is recognised as one of the eight most common food allergens in the United States, and one of the most common causes of fatal or near-fatal food-induced anaphylactic reactions globally. Undeclared allergens in food products are the leading cause of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requests for food recalls, with undeclared milk protein as the most frequently cited allergen. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of milk protein contamination in milk-alternative ice cream products sold as frozen dessert in the U.S. and labelled as 'non-dairy', 'dairy-free', and/or 'vegan', and to characterise the potential risk for allergic individuals consuming these products. Thirty-two unique milk-alternative frozen dessert products, including flavours with and without inclusions, from 16 different brands, were tested for the presence of milk proteins using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Milk protein was detected in three of the tested products: two contained solid inclusions, and one did not have inclusions. One of the three products with detectable milk protein had an advisory statement indicating the product was made in a facility that processed milk. Although no consensus exists as to the minimal dose of milk protein necessary to elicit an adverse effect in a milk-sensitised individual, the milk protein quantities in one serving of each of the three products exceeded some of the published thresholds. These results suggest that one serving of certain milk-alternative frozen dessert products could potentially elicit an allergic response in highly sensitive individuals.