British cruise ship with 1,700 on board hit by illness, no hantavirus link
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Over 1,700 passengers and crew aboard the British cruise ship Ambition were ordered to remain on board after an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness, with up to 50 passengers showing symptoms and being isolated for treatment.
- French authorities dismissed any connection between this outbreak and a recent deadly hantavirus outbreak on another vessel, the MV Hondius, which caused multiple hospitalizations and deaths in Europe.
- The Ambition, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, was on a 14-night cruise from Belfast and Liverpool, and disembarkation was suspended upon arrival in Bordeaux, with shore excursions canceled and affected passengers offered refunds.
- A 92-year-old male passenger died on the ship, though his death was not linked to the illness and the cause is under investigation by a coroner.
- The U.S. CDC notes that gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships, often caused by norovirus, are common, with 23 recorded outbreaks last year, including a recent norovirus outbreak on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship.