France confines over 1,700 passengers on cruise ship over gastroenteritis
Al Jazeera • • general
Key Points:
- French authorities have temporarily barred 1,233 passengers and 514 crew from disembarking the British cruise ship Ambition in Bordeaux after nearly 50 suspected gastroenteritis cases were reported onboard.
- The Ambition, carrying mostly British and Irish nationals, had traveled from Belfast and Liverpool and arrived in France on Tuesday evening; 48 passengers and one crew member showed gastrointestinal symptoms by Wednesday morning.
- Officials stated the disembarkation restriction is a precaution while medical tests are conducted, and confirmed the outbreak is unrelated to a hantavirus cluster reported on another cruise ship, the MV Hondius.
- Ambassador Cruise Line implemented enhanced sanitation measures and canceled all shore excursions in Bordeaux, offering full refunds to affected passengers; the company noted the rise in cases began after boarding in Liverpool.
- Gastroenteritis is common on cruise ships due to close quarters and is usually not serious, differing significantly from the more deadly hantavirus, which requires close contact to spread.