Mystery illness strikes British cruise ship – 1,700 now quarantined | UK | News
More than 1,700 passengers and crew have been quarantined on a British cruise ship docked in France following an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness that left dozens suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea.
The ship, an Ambassador Cruise Line ship, docked in Bordeaux, southwestern France, on Tuesday with a crew of 514 and 1,187 passengers, mostly British and Irish.
Forty-eight passengers reportedly experienced symptoms suggestive of gastrointestinal disease, but the exact cause has not yet been determined through tests.
Is the Ambition epidemic linked to the hantavirus scare?
The cruise line took action to stave off the hantavirus scare, which sparked international alarm following the suspicious deaths of three passengers on the Dutch ship MV Hondius, which sailed from Argentina. The Ambassador reportedly said that there was no connection between the two incidents.
Separately, French health officials acknowledged that a 92-year-old British man died during the journey, but stressed that investigators had found nothing to link his death to the illness affecting other passengers.
“At this stage, no connection has been established with the gastroenteritis incident,” officials said.
What illnesses affect passengers on Ambition?
He tested negative for norovirus, a highly contagious stomach disease whose symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea and can lead to fatally low blood pressure, according to the Telegraph; This is a particular risk for elderly and very young patients. Secondary testing was ongoing at the time of the announcement and food poisoning had not been ruled out as a cause.
The voyage had begun with departure from the Shetland Islands on 6 May; The ship had called in Belfast on Friday before heading to Liverpool on Saturday. The ambassador said that the number of cases increased after the Liverpool stop. The worst symptoms were reported on Monday, while the ship was still in Brest in France’s northwestern Brittany region, heading for Bordeaux on the day the 92-year-old passenger died.
Why were passengers stopped from leaving the ship?
Upon arrival in Bordeaux, French health authorities requested a routine review of the ship’s health records. Laboratory samples were transported to Bordeaux university hospital for analysis; officials said this process will take at least six hours to complete.
State governor Étienne Guyot announced that he was taking action to suspend the disembarkation of passengers and crew and restrict contact with the port as a precautionary measure, citing the “contagious nature of gastroenteritis-type diseases” and the need to await test results. Local coastal authorities ordered everyone on board, passengers and crew, to remain on board while the investigation continued.
All shore excursions scheduled for that day were canceled and the cruise line promised full refunds to all passengers who had booked shore excursions.
What is Ambassador Cruise Line doing about the outbreak?
The operator said it was treating the situation “extremely seriously” with enhanced cleaning and prevention protocols put in place following the first reports of illness.
“We provide every support to the friends and family of the deceased and express our sincere condolences to them at this difficult time,” the statement said.
Local media reported that there was no security presence around the ship, which was in Bordeaux on Wednesday, and that passengers were photographing the French city from the deck. The ambassador said that those on the ship would be allowed to disembark “after receiving permission”.
