Hepatitis E warning issued for passengers on two Melbourne cruises
Passengers on board two recent cruises leaving Melbourne are being warned they may have been exposed to hepatitis E, which, while usually only causing a mild disease, can prove to be fatal in extreme cases.
The warning was issued by the Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday to passengers travelling on the Golden Princess between February 8 and 15, during which time a crew member had been suffering the viral liver infection.
According to the Chief Health Officer of Victoria, Professor Charles Guest, passengers were only at a “low risk” of infection and unlikely to become ill.
Symptoms of hepatitis E include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine, clay-coloured stools and joint pain.
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