Passengers barred from leaving ship at French port after gastroenteritis outbreak
· Toronto Sun
More than 1,700 passengers and crew on a cruise ship hit with a suspected gastroenteritis outbreak were ordered to remain aboard the vessel docked in Bordeaux, France, on Wednesday.
The Ambition , a cruise ship operated by U.K-based Ambassador Cruise Line, was partway through its 14-night tour of Western France and Northern Spain when it arrived at the French port.
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“According to information relayed last night by the ship’s captain, up to 50 passengers experienced symptoms consistent with an acute gastrointestinal infection,” French health authorities said in a news release .
Initial tests ruled out an outbreak of norovirus, a highly contagious form of gastroenteritis that causes vomiting and diarrhea, but secondary tests were still underway, French authorities said.
It said the affected passengers were immediately attended to by the ship’s doctor and isolated in their cabins.
No link to recent hantavirus outbreak
French authorities said there was no reason to link this outbreak with the recent hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship.
Pending the results of the tests, authorities said, passenger disembarkations were suspended “as a precautionary measure due to the contagiousness of gastroenteritis-type illnesses.”
The Ambition , carrying mostly British and Irish passengers, left the Scotland’s Shetland Islands on May 6, stopped in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Friday and Liverpool, England, on Saturday before reaching Bordeaux, from where it was scheduled to depart for Spain.
It was initially supposed to dock back in Liverpool on May 22.
Cruise operator responds
Ambassador Cruise Line said in a Facebook post that there was an increase in gastrointestinal illness cases after guests boarded the ship in Liverpool.
The cruise operator said enhanced sanitation and prevention protocols were immediately implemented on the ship following the initial reports of illness.
“While the investigation and testing are ongoing, all guests and crew have been instructed to remain on board under the direction of the local shore authorities. Once clearance is granted, guests will be permitted to disembark,” Ambassador Cruise Line said.
The company also confirmed that a 92-year-old man died on board on Friday, but stressed that he did not report any gastrointestinal illness symptoms, Sky News reported.
French health authorities said the man died of a heart attack.
— With files from AFP.