Measles, rubella, and varicella among the crew of a cruise ship sailing from Florida, United States, 2006.

Background: Cruise ship outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD) such as rubella and varicella have been previously associated with introduction and spread among susceptible crew members originating from countries with endemic transmission of these diseases.

Methods: During February to April 2006, we investigated a cluster of rash illnesses due to measles, rubella, or varicella on a cruise ship sailing from Florida to the Caribbean. Case-finding measures included review of medical logs, active surveillance for rash illness among crew members, and passive surveillance for rash illness in the ship's infirmary lasting two incubation periods from the last case of measles.

Pertussis in Florida, 2000-2006: trends in a historically low-incidence state.

Objective: Florida, the fourth most populous state in the nation, has had historically low incidence rates of pertussis, the only vaccine-preventable disease with increasing numbers of reported cases. We compared the epidemiology and incidence rates of pertussis in Florida with other states and the United States.

Methods: We used Florida and federal surveillance data from 2000 through 2006.