The cruise ship Ambition, carrying over 1,700 people, has been placed in quarantine in France following an outbreak of illness
Dozens of cases of illness have been reported on the cruise ship
The cruise ship Ambition, operated by the British company Ambassador Cruise Line, docked at the port of Bordeaux on Tuesday evening, reports Delfi.
There are over 1,700 people on board, including 1,233 passengers and 514 crew members.
The Aquitaine Regional Health Agency has imposed a quarantine regime on everyone on board due to a suspected outbreak of viral gastroenteritis.
A passenger aged over 90 died on the cruise ship before it arrived in Bordeaux. In addition, around 50 people have reported symptoms of gastrointestinal illness.
According to the cruise operator, there are currently 49 active cases among passengers and crew. This is less than 3% of all people on board.
Norovirus remains the leading theory
French health authorities consider norovirus to be the most likely cause of the outbreak. At the same time, food poisoning is also being considered as a possible cause.
Initial tests carried out directly on board did not confirm the presence of norovirus. Samples from patients have been sent for further testing to Bordeaux University Hospital.
According to French media reports, processing the test results will take at least six hours.
Ambassador Cruise Line has stated that it is taking the situation “extremely seriously” and has already introduced enhanced hygiene and preventive measures.
Passengers were denied shore leave
The ship set sail from the Shetland Islands on 6 May. During the cruise, the liner called at Belfast, Liverpool and Brest before arriving in Bordeaux.
Most of the passengers on board are British and Irish nationals.
The shore excursions scheduled for Wednesday have been cancelled, and passengers have been promised a full refund.
A statement from the company said that passengers would be allowed to disembark once permission had been granted by the health authorities.
Authorities have ruled out a link to hantavirus
The French authorities have stated that the outbreak on board the Ambition is not linked to the hantavirus, which was widely reported last week.
A link to the situation on the cruise ship MV Hondius, where several passengers previously died due to a hantavirus outbreak, has also been ruled out.
