Key Aspects:
- The CDC has issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice after poliovirus was detected in 32 countries.
- Several destinations on the list include major cruise hubs or ports visited by ships.
- Health officials recommend passengers ensure they are up to date on polio vaccinations before international sailings.
A global polio warning from US health officials is drawing new attention to dozens of destinations popular with cruising.
As millions prepare for spring and summer trips, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says poliovirus has been detected in 32 countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
The agency has issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice advising travelers to “practice enhanced precautions” when visiting areas where poliovirus has been detected within the last year.
For cruise guests, the warning is particularly relevant. Many itineraries span multiple countries in a single voyage, increasing the likelihood of visiting destinations where the virus has recently been detected.
While many associate polio with a disease largely eradicated decades ago, the virus continues to circulate in parts of the world and occasionally appears in unexpected places through environmental monitoring.
The CDC says the affected destinations include countries with active transmission as well as places where the virus has been detected through wastewater surveillance.
Some countries on the list, including Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Indonesia, are well-known hubs and ports frequently visited by cruise itineraries.
The CDC advises cruise passengers to ensure they are fully vaccinated before traveling internationally.
“Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines,” the CDC wrote in its advisory. “Before travel to any destination listed, adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series may receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine.”
Polio, according to the CDC, is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily spreads through contaminated food or water and poor hand hygiene. The virus can affect the nervous system and, in rare cases, lead to paralysis or death.
Countries Affected and What to Know
The CDC’s Level 2 advisory includes countries across several regions where poliovirus has been detected in the past 12 months.
Europe includes several countries on the advisory, including Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the UK. Among these, Spain and the UK are major cruise embarkation sites with Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Valencia in Spain among the busiest cruise ports in the Mediterranean.
In the UK, Southampton serves as one of Europe’s largest cruise homeports for ships sailing Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and transatlantic voyages, as well as UK-specific sailings.
Germany is also a significant embarkation point through Hamburg.
Africa and the Middle East account for the largest number of countries on the CDC advisory list, although many of the destinations are not typical cruise stops due to limited tourism infrastructure or ongoing security concerns.
The list includes Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, and Yemen, along with Gaza.
Included in the advisory are Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, which are well-known safari destinations, as well as Egypt, where Nile River cruises are popular.
However, cruise itineraries in the region have recently shifted due to geopolitical tensions, with many ships avoiding the Red Sea and, many Middle East sailings cancelled amid conflict involving Iran, as reported by Cruise Hive.
In Asia, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Papua New Guinea have experienced poliovirus cases, with Indonesia a popular cruise destination, particularly for itineraries that include Bali.
The CDC is not recommending cancelling travel to destinations included in the advisory. Instead, the notice is serving as a reminder for passengers to review their vaccination status before departing on international voyages.
