A crew member on a Holland America ship docked in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics has been diagnosed with Hansen’s Disease, better known as leprosy.
In a statement issued today, the line says the crew member worked in the engine room of the 1,258-passenger Statendam, which has been chartered to house police and other security personnel during the Winter Games.
“During a routine examination, an engine room crew member with no guest contact was diagnosed with Hansen’s Disease (leprosy), a curable condition of the skin and nerves,” the line says in its statement. “Health Canada and (local health department) Vancouver Coastal Health were consulted immediately and the crew member was further treated locally and has traveled home for continued treatment under the care of medical staff.”
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In a separate statement, Vancouver Coastal Health says the diagnosis was made Thursday, and “there is no public health risk associated with this case.”
Once one of the world’s most feared illnesses — so feared that patients thought to have it were banished for life to “leper colonies” — Hansen’s Disease now is treatable with prescription drugs. Still, a stigma remains attached to it. It remains common in a handful of countries including Brazil, Madagascar and Mozambique but is extremely rare in North America. Left untreated, it can cause severe and permanent damage to skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.
Damn CoCo leprosy?!