More than 1,000 passengers on board the UK-operated Ambition cruise ship were prevented from leaving the ship in France after 49 people contracted gastrointestinal illness, the BBC reports.
Health authorities in Bordeaux said three infected passengers were placed in isolation in their cabins and all remaining passengers were temporarily banned from disembarking at the port.
There are currently around 1,700 people on board the ship, French media reported. According to Ambassador Cruise Line, the ship is currently carrying 1,187 passengers and 514 crew, the BBC reported, adding that Ambition departed Belfast on May 8 and stopped in Liverpool the following day.
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More than 1,000 passengers on the British cruise ship Ambition have been affected by a gastrointestinal illness, commonly referred to as the stomach flu, which usually causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
Passengers have been temporarily banned from disembarking in France as a precautionary measure due to the contagious nature of the gastrointestinal outbreak. This restriction remained in effect until the results of the medical tests were available.
Gastroenteritis, or the stomach flu, is a condition that spreads easily. It usually causes vomiting and diarrhea and can sometimes lead to complications such as dehydration.
No, regional health authorities said there was no evidence linking the outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on the Ambition to the recent cluster of hantaviruses reported on the luxury ship Hondius.
Gastroenteritis, or the stomach flu, is usually mild and spreads easily. Hantavirus infection, especially the Andes strain, carries a significantly higher risk of mortality and usually requires close or long-term contact for human-to-human transmission.
Regional health authorities said there was no evidence to link an apparent outbreak of stomach flu on board the Ambition, which sailed from Belfast and Liverpool, to the recent cluster of hantaviruses reported on the luxury liner Hondius, which was traveling between Argentina and the Canary Islands.
According to French media, including BFM TV, one passenger has reportedly died.
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Officials said the restriction preventing passengers from leaving the ship was temporary and would remain in place until medical test results were available, according to Reuters.
Ambassador Cruise Line said in a Facebook post that it immediately implemented enhanced cleaning and preventive healthcare measures aboard the vessel.
“Once permission is granted, guests will be allowed to disembark,” it said.
Ambassador Cruise Line told the BBC that a 92-year-old passenger died on board on Sunday. The company said the man did not show any symptoms associated with gastrointestinal illness and the exact cause of death will be determined by the coroner. The cruise ship operator added that it fully supports the family and friends of the passenger and expressed its deepest condolences at this difficult time.
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The Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional health authority said a medical team had been sent to the ship to evaluate the outbreak and samples were being analyzed at Bordeaux University Hospital, the report said.
The agency added that passengers were temporarily prohibited from leaving the ship “as a precautionary measure due to the contagiousness of gastroenteritis-type illnesses.” The restriction will remain in place until test results are available.
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The results of the medical tests are expected to take at least six hours to process, the cruise operator said, according to the BBC.
“The health, safety and well-being of our guests and crew remains our highest priority and we are sincerely grateful for the patience, understanding and cooperation they have shown while these precautionary measures remain in place,” he added.
About gastroenteritis
Commonly referred to as the stomach flu, gastroenteritis usually causes vomiting and diarrhea. The disease spreads easily but is usually mild, although it can sometimes lead to complications such as dehydration.
This condition is significantly different from hantavirus infection, which carries a significantly higher risk of death, but rarely spreads between people and generally requires close contact for transmission.
Gastrointestinal infections are reportedly not uncommon on cruise ships. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has already documented four cruise ship outbreaks this year, including two linked to Escherichia coli infections and two caused by norovirus infections.
