The maritime industry-and the cruise industry in particular -was facing up to the dramatic impact of swine flu in May, despite some moderation of worldwide concern about therneffects of a possible pandemic. Confirmed cases and the global spread of the virus were escalating, but as SASI went to press deaths were still largely limited to Mexico.rnThe swine flu outbreak caused a record number of cruise ships to be rerouted at once: about 25 Panamax and post-Panamax vessels were abruptly pulled from Mexico, shifting more than 60,000 passengers a week. For a maritime industry already feeling the pinch of strict precautionary security measures, with ships and crew facing new hurdles at ports around the world, swine flu was an especially unwelcome variable.
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