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(Reuters) – A cruise ship quarantined following a reported case of measles left Thursday the island of St. Lucia, in the Caribbean, after the health authorities provided it with 100 doses vaccine, the media reported.
The cruise ship Church of Scientology was confined to port this week by the island's health officials after the detection of the highly contagious disease on board.
CNN reported that the vessel had departed St. Lucia and online data on its traffic showed that the vessel was en route and heading to the island of Curaçao.
A case of measles has been confirmed on the boat moored in a port near the capital Castries since Tuesday, said Dr. Merlene Frederick-James, Chief Medical Officer of St. Lucia, in a video statement.
"The confirmed case as well as the other crew members are currently stable, but remain under the supervision of the ship's doctor," she said, noting that the incubation period for measles was 10 to 12 days before the onset of symptoms.
The number of measles cases in the United States has peaked in 25 years with more than 700 people diagnosed this week as part of an international resurgence of the disease.
NBC News, quoting a Coast Guard Sergeant from St. Lucia, said the ship was calling Freewinds. It is the name of a 300 meter long ship belonging to the Church of Scientology.
According to Reuters Eikon shipping data, a Panamanian flagged cruise ship, identified as the SMV Freewinds, had been moored at the port near Castries on Thursday. He was now at sea and should arrive in Curacao on Saturday.
On its website, the Church of Scientology describes the Freewinds as a "floating religious retreat serving the most advanced level of spiritual counseling in the religion of Scientology."
Church officials did not respond to requests for comment.
NBC News reported that nearly 300 passengers and crew members were aboard the ship, a woman member of the crew who was diagnosed with measles.
Public health officials attribute declining vaccination rates in some communities as a result of erroneous information about inoculation that has made these populations vulnerable to a rapid spread of infection among people not immune to the virus.
The vast majority of cases in the United States have occurred in children who have not received measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines, officials said.
(Brendan O'Brien report in Milwaukee, additional Rich McKay report in Atlanta, edited by Daniel Wallis, Lisa Shumaker and Darren Schuettler)
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