Serenade - 10 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise - "A Word to the Wise!"

[Trainman-2]

Here I am in St Kitts cuddling with Monkeys!

 

They are cute, clingy, and cuddly!

 

 

However,

 

Since I returned from the Cruise I have been feeling "run down" and tired and have developed some urinary tract problems.

 

My Urologist had a "sample" that I gave him tested and found that I am infected with:

 

 

Staphylococcus Werniri

 

 

An internet search provided the following info!

 

Staphylococcus warneri

 

 

This Gram positive coccus is found as singles, pairs, and infrequently as irregular, grape-like clusters. Cells are catalase positive and exhibit facultatively anaerobic metabolism. Able to use glucose oxidatively and fermentatively. Salt tolerant in media with NaCl concentrations up to 10%. Growth occurs at temperatures between 15-45 C, with optimum growth occurring between 30-40 C. Isolated most frequently from the skin and nasal cavities of monkeys and apes, infrequently from humans and other mammals. There is evidence of its involvement in infections of cattle and canines, as well as nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients particularly associated with indwelling medical devices and invasive procedures.

 

 

DANG! No More Monkey Cuddling for Me!

[Dett]

So sorry for your illness. We just got off a B2B on Serenade and also went to St Kitts. I am an animal lover but I avoid touching any animals in the ports. I don't know if they have vaccines. I had a guy in the beach in St Kitts try to put a monkey on me. I started screaming and he went away. Probably thought that I was a crazy lady. They are cute things.

[island lady]

Have never been a fan of monkeys, which gives me even more reason to dislike them. (I am a crazy cat lady instead! ;)).

 

Really sorry to hear you came down with that awful

disease. Hope you recover quickly!

[luvscruising2007]

Take care Trainman. Hope you have a full recovery soon. Your post is a good warning to all of us. Thank you.

[Langley Cruisers]

Oh dear! Sorry to hear this but thank you for the warning. The monkeys in St. Kitts are everywhere, even in restaurants. When you have to keep one eye on them and one eye on your lunch, something's gotta give. :p

[Luvfuninthesun]

I live in St Kitts, and I'm wondering where you ate on the island, needing to protect your lunch from the monkeys....

Yes they are visible, but they stay away from humans for the most part.

I find the culture of "taking pics with the monkeys" very upsetting and cruel.

 

Sorry to hear about your experience Trainman-2, and I hope you feel better soon!

Happy holidays -

[Kathie13]

Off to St Kitts in April and probably would have played with the monkeys. Not anymore!!

Hope you feel better soon!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[diesel1973]

Have seen videos of people getting bitten by those monkeys when they go crazy. No monkeys for me. Have been attacked by a bear and bitten twice in Alaska and no disease from that. Not very fond of wild animals!

[textbookcase]

We'll be on St. Kitts next week. Thanks for the warning!

[cincicruisers]

Yikes! Thank you for posting this. I would have done the picture without knowing the risks.

[cruizers]

Thank you so much for the heads up! I hope you feel better quickly!

[Coralc]

Thanks for the warning. I've always had an aversion to monkeys and they seem to feel the same way about me. With all the iguanas, alligators, nutria and sloths I have enjoyed holding on excursions, I never thought about their disease carrying capability. Staph infections can be nasty. But that makes sense.

 

Apparently armadillos carry leprosy. Although I have never held one, I never would of thought of that either! :D

[emeraldcity]

I've been to St. Kitts twice and every time I was approached by a monkey handler I held up my hands in a Stop position and shook my head. The handlers were easily dissuaded to go look for someone more agreeable. I thought it was intriguing to see them jumping through the trees, and I wish they could all be left in the wild ... not brought into town to try and make money from them.

[Coralc]

I never even thought about zoonosis. And I always wash well after handling. I like to hold animals, just not monkeys. http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z78/plhunt2/PanamaCruise066.jpg

 

:)

 

I am looking forward to feeding (not holding) the Mara in Barbados in February.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara_(mammal)

Edited December 28, 2015 by Coralc

[JamesEM]

Thanks for the heads up, wishing you a full recovery.

[erniesband]

This should be posted on the St Kitts port of call board also !

It's important to know.

[BillOh]

 

My Urologist had a "sample" that I gave him tested and found that I am infected with:

 

 

Staphylococcus Werniri

 

 

 

I'm impressed with your doctor/patient relationship. Most would be "Infection, here is your antibiotic. Next!"

[Trainman-2]

This bug is persistent!

 

It came back a second time and I was treated again.

 

Now it is back for the third time and I am starting a new treatment plan.

 

 

No more monkeys for me!

[Luv my furbaby]

Thanks for the warning - I'll be in St Kitts in November and I'm sure I would have at least touched the monkey.

Feel better!!

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Old European Proverb:

 

'Not my Circus, Not my Monkeys".

 

Guess that sorta kinda applies here. :D

[Langley Cruisers]

Now it is back for the third time and I am starting a new treatment plan....No more monkeys for me!

 

Ugh! So sorry this is dragging on.

 

I hope it does serve as a warning to others; just yesterday in another thread, I saw pictures of passengers holding monkeys. I guess they won't know until they read this. :(

[Coralc]

I never would have held them before. And I definitely won't touch them now! I hope you are feeling better soon Jim.

[davekathy]

Never have and never will at any of the ports of call.