The MAF program coordinator, Roger Poland, said they had not yet identified one particular strain of Salmonella as causing all of the deaths so it was too early to determine if it was spreading throughout the country. The health authorities are currently carrying out tests to establish links to the sparrow deaths, as well as investigating a number of cases of salmonellosis in humans. During August and September there have been 15 confirmed cases involving rabbits, dogs cats, ducks, quail, deer, horses, cattle and cockatoos. Top of page Update on respiratory illness among passengers on the Fair Princess cruise Contributed 21 September 2000 by Dr Jeremy McAnulty, Manager, Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Control Unit, NSW Health Department, Sydney. This is a summary of NSW Health's investigation of the outbreak of flu-like illness on the Fair Princess in early September 2000.
Available evidence indicates that the cause of the outbreak was likely to be influenza.
The ship had left Sydney for a routine cruise on 28 August 2000 bound for Noumea and other islands. Five people had been taken off the ship with illness in Noumea. One of the patients subsequently died. Two others were diagnosed by doctors in Noumea with Legionnaires' disease. The ship was due to arrive back in Sydney on Saturday 9 September 2000.