Healthy Sailing

19/02/2026

HEALTHY SAILING Final Conference – 19 February 2026

📍 Hybrid - online and at the Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Thessaly

Today we are proud to host the Final Conference of the EU HEALTHY SAILING project (GA 101069764), bringing together leading academic institutions, European and international public health organisations, and major shipping industry representatives.

The project focused on the prevention, mitigation, and management of infectious diseases on cruise ships and passenger ferries, strengthening preparedness and response capacities across Europe and beyond.

🔹 The conference opened with remarks from:

◾ Agnieszka Zaplatka, Project Officer

◾ Ninglan Wang (WHO)

◾ Agoritsa Baka (ECDC)

◾ Emma Shillito (CLIA)

◾ Christos Hadjichristodoulou, Project Coordinator

🔹 Throughout the day, consortium partners present key results from all Work Packages, including:

◾ Evidence synthesis on infection transmission mechanisms

◾ Infection chain analysis and computational modelling of droplet & aerosol dispersion

◾ Ventilation and communication guidelines

◾ Mathematical modelling of infectious disease spread onboard

◾ Evidence-based guidance for ARI in routine ship operations, vaccine recommendations for travellers, and needs of mefical operations in expefition vessels

◾ AI-driven surveillance systems and decision-support tools

◾ Water Safety Plan AI tools and disinfection monitoring toolkits

◾ Shore-side epidemic intelligence (EIOS) and international coordination frameworks

◾ Training, behavioral change interventions, and blended learning toolkits

◾ Policy recommendations for safer passenger ship operations

The programme concludes with an important intervention from shipping industry leaders (CARNIVAL, CELESTYAL, MSC Cruises, SEAJETS)

The HEALTHY SAILING project demonstrates how science, policy, and industry collaboration can strengthen health security in the maritime sector.

🔗 Join us live via Zoom if you wish to follow the conference online.

📌 Event Details
Title: Final Conference of HEALTHY SAILING project
Date: 19/02/2026
Time: 09:00 – 16:20 CET (10:00 – 17:20 Athens time)
Venue: Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Thessaly
(Ktirio Katsigra, Papakyriazi 22 str., Larissa, Greece)
Zoom Platform: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87953142227
Meeting ID: 879 5314 2227

03/11/2025

🌍 We are proud to share that the Healthy Sailing Project was represented at the Clean Water and Clean Air Conference (CWCC 2025) held at UM6P, Morocco (October 14–16, 2025)! 💧🌬️

🚢 Dr. Sarkawt Hama, Research Fellow at the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey, presented our research poster on:

"Airborne Pathogens and Ventilation Assessment on Ships"

This work is part of our aim to provide practical recommendations for optimizing ventilation operations in passenger ships, contributing to a safe sailing environment and resilience for future pandemics.

🔬 The conference provided an excellent platform to engage with global experts in environmental health, water, and air quality — and to spotlight the importance of safer, healthier maritime transport.

📎 Learn more about the project:
👉 https://healthysailing.eu/

10/07/2025

🚢 New Publication Alert

Mitigating norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships: How timing and isolation make the difference

In our latest article in the Journal of Travel Medicine, we present a model-based analysis evaluating the impact of diagnostic timing and isolation strategies on controlling norovirus spread aboard cruise ships.

🔍 Key Findings:

◾ Superspreading is critical: Just 10% of infected individuals caused 57% of secondary cases, with longer diagnostic delays (mean 83 hrs) and fewer symptoms.

◾ A 72-hour isolation protocol reduced transmission by 71% and cut the effective reproduction number from 9.8 to 4.9.

◾ Earlier diagnosis led to even greater reductions in outbreak size and likelihood of sustained transmission.

These insights support optimizing detection and isolation protocols to prevent and control future outbreaks at sea.

Authored by:

Alfredo De Bellis, PhD | Andrea Bizzotto, MSc | Lemonia Anagnostopoulos, MPH | Leonidas Kourentis, MPH | Valentina Marziano, PhD | Varvara (Barbara) A. Mouchtouri, PhD | Stefano Merler, MSc | Giorgio Guzzetta, PhD

📄 Read the full study: https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taaf059 Published in Journal of Travel Medicine, 2025.

AbstractBackground. Acute gastroenteritis outbreaks caused by noroviruses are a common public health issue on cruise ships. Understanding the main drivers

02/07/2025

🚢💻 As part of the Horizon Europe "HEALTHY SAILING" project, the University of Thessaly, EU Shipsan Scientific Association, MSC Cruises, the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), and a Plasma Technology Institute in Germany (IPN) are co-developing a prototype software tool to support the structured development and implementation of Water Safety Plans (WSPs) on cruise ships.

The tool will:

🛠️ Guide users step-by-step through WSP creation (WHO & SHIPSAN-compliant)

📊 Support hazard identification and risk assessment

📍 Map control measures and critical points in the ship’s water systems

📝 Facilitate documentation, monitoring, and audit readiness

👥 Enable team collaboration and track crew training responsibilities

This cross-disciplinary innovation aims to enhance compliance, water safety, and climate resilience in the maritime sector.

14/05/2025

🚢 HEALTHY SAILING – Onboard Pilot Testing of E-SS/IIS Systems

📍 Celestyal Discovery | 📆 April 11–14, 2025

Researchers from HEALTHY SAILING project (EU SHIPSAN Scientific Association, UTH, ICCS, SimFWD, NKUA) conducted a pilot test of the E-SS (Integrated e-Surveillance System of Health Threats) and the IIS (Artificial Intelligence Immune System) aboard the Celestyal Discovery.

The pilot testing involved hands-on use of the systems by ship medical staff, who entered mock data and provided valuable feedback for the system improvement.

These systems aim to:
✅ Reduce undetectable and unreported infectious diseases
✅ Expand syndromic surveillance to all infectious diseases
✅ Integrate clinical and environmental lab data
✅ Provide real-time alerts and control recommendations

🔍 The E-SS collects syndromic, lab, and environmental data, generates reports, and feeds them into the IIS, which uses AI to detect threats, suggest , and follow up on public health events.

👏 We thank the ship’s medical personnel for their collaboration and engagement in this important step toward smarter maritime health protection.