Why Australia’s new centre for disease control should cover cruise ship outbreaks

• Cruise ship outbreaks of norovirus have been reported at record rates in the USA.
• However, Australia has no national data to say whether this is the case in Australia.
• In January, we established a Centre for Disease Control. It needs to take over reporting of cruise ship diseases.

On January 1 this year, Australia launched its new Australian Centre for Disease Control, which will be a national agency to strengthen public health preparedness. 

While the body is new, it already has an outlined list of responsibilities and some organisations that it works with, none of which mention cruise or cruise ships.

It would appear to be a logical move to have the new agency cover reporting of cruise ship outbreaks, as is done in the United States, where reporting on cruise ship outbreaks is much more thorough than in Australia. In Australia, this is currently not reported nationally, and limited data is available from some states.

In the USA last year, there were 20 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships reported to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an all-time high since reporting began in 1994.

For the average cruiser, 20 outbreaks shouldn’t be cause for concern, given that more than 20 million people cruise in the US each year. However, the US’s close reporting and monitoring of these incidents does give cruise ship owners and passengers the data and infrastructure necessary to work to minimise the outbreaks and act more assertively if things continue to get worse. 

In Australia, the picture looks a little different. As of now, the only data available is reported by NSW.

The NSW Health Cruise Ship Program National Report reveals in the 2024/25 cruise season there were two gastrointestinal outbreaks that spread to more than 3% of passengers onboard – one of these outbreaks led to 11% of passengers onboard catching the disease. 

About 1.2 million people cruised out of NSW during this period, meaning that while two gastrointestinal outbreaks doesn’t sound like many, this is a higher rate per passenger than the US’s record year of outbreaks. 

Furthermore, there were four cruises out of NSW where at least 3% of the passengers contracted acute respiratory infections. 

The report also reveals the vessels it designates as “high priority” for inspections of sanitation practices, which include Carnival Adventure, Crown Princess and Disney Wonder. 

However, there is no information on which outbreaks happened on which ships, as is the case in the US. Furthermore, a lack of reporting or publicly available reporting from other states makes it more difficult to identify national trends and corroborate data.

While there is nothing to suggest that cruise ship outbreaks could become a serious problem in Australia, national reporting would mean Australia is more prepared for the possibility of an increased rate of outbreaks, and that cruisers, as consumers, have more information available.

Another limitation is that the data only appears to be reported in annual reports, rather than as it happens, like the CDC in the US does. More timely and nationwide reporting can allow cruisers to better protect their safety.

If cruisers are aware that the ship they are set to sail on recently has had an outbreak or has been designated as high risk, they would be able to take extra precautions and read up on health advice before boarding their ship. It would also hold cruise ships more accountable in increasing their sanitation procedures in moments of elevated risk.

Cruising is not an at-risk activity and the chance of contracting an infectious disease is low, but coordinated national reporting could make sure things stay that way in Australia.Cruise Passenger has contacted the new body to ask if it will work on or contribute to reporting of cruise outbreaks. it.

A spokesperson for the Australian CDC said he would look into the position of cruise ships.

In the USA you can open up the CDC website and quickly find a list of all cruise ship outbreaks, which ship it was and when, how many people were infected, what was the cause of the infection and more.

Given that reporting of cruise outbreaks isn’t nationally coordinated in Australia, this new CDC would be the perfect body to better collect and collate data on cruise ship outbreaks, so that Australian cruisers and health agents can have the same data that those in the USA have access to.

The CDC this weekend issued a statement to Cruise Passenger outlining its role and agreeing that cruise lines need to report illness where local authorities like state governments demand it.

Here’s what it said: “Cruise ships are a higher risk setting for communicable disease. There is an increased risk of transmission of diseases such as gastroenteritis and respiratory infections, including influenza (flu) and COVID-19. These viral infections can be serious, particularly for people who are at higher risk of severe illness.

“The risk is higher on board cruise ships than in the general community due to the high numbers of people mixing in relatively closed spaces, and the typically longer duration of cruises compared to other transport.

“Cruise operators should continue to look to industry best practice to minimise transmission of communicable diseases through policies and procedures that reduce the risk of outbreaks and minimise risk to local communities.

“Once in Australian jurisdictions, cruise operators should continue to check with state and territory authorities about specific requirements and considerations for cruise ships in each jurisdiction.

“Outbreaks and large increases in illness on board are reported through to the relevant public health jurisdiction for consideration of public health action and support. This data is not currently collated or reported nationally.

“Under the Australian Centre for Disease Control Act 2025, the Director-General may, in exceptional circumstances, require a non-government entity to provide specified information.

“This authority could, for example, extend to directing a cruise operator to report cases of passenger infection where necessary to protect public health.

“While current reporting of norovirus outbreaks is managed by the states and territories, the Australian Centre for Disease Control will continue to work to strengthen national coordination and improve reporting requirements for diseases that present a risk to public health in Australia.”

See more here.