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'Swine Flu Cruise' Quarantined

Passengers, crew confined to Caribbean liner after staff members diagnosed

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 18, 2009 3:51 AM CDT

(Newser) – Venezuela has quarantined more than a thousand passengers and crew on board a visiting cruise ship, the BBC reports. Three crew members from the Ocean Dream have been diagnosed with swine flu and 11 more are showing symptoms. Barbados and Grenada had earlier refused to allow the Spanish-owned ship's passengers to disembark.

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The Ocean Dream cruise ship sits docked near Guamache port in Margarita Island, Venezuela. (AP Photo/STR)

Grenada and Barbados refused to allow passengers from the Ocean Dream disembark. (©al_green)

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The virus was detected in three crew members and the boat must now stay in quarantine until June 24. - Venezuelan state health official Jorge Alchaer

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'Swine Flu Cruise' Quarantined