A Royal Caribbean cruise passenger diagnosed with malaria was medically evacuated by the Mexican Navy on Friday hours before the ship docked back in Texas.
The Harmony of the Seas cruise ship worked with the Mexican Navy just off the coast of Isla Mujeres on Friday to offload a male passenger who started showing signs of malaria during the week-long voyage.
The man came down with a fever and recorded a low platelet count when he was examined by the ship’s medical team, the Rivera Maya News reported.
He was transported to a hospital in Puerto Juárez, the outlet reported. His current condition is unclear.
Malaria is a disease spread by a female breed of mosquitoes already infected with the parasite. It is not contagious like a standard viral illness, but can be spread in rare cases through blood transfusions or organ transplants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most people who contract malaria begin to feel ill as early as one week or as late as a year after being bitten by the infective mosquito, the CDC said.
The cruise’s highlighted destinations — Roatan, Honduras, Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico, and Cozumel, Mexico — all have tropical climates where mosquitoes thrive.
The man’s evacuation caused a three to four hour delay in the ship’s return to Galveston, Texas, according to CruiseHive.
The Post reached out to Royal Caribbean for more information.
