French authorities confined more than 1,700 passengers and crew on a cruise ship in Bordeaux after a suspected outbreak of gastroenteritis on a French cruise ship, officials said.
The Ambition, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, was docked in Bordeaux, southwestern France. This happened after the captain reported about 50 passengers with symptoms of acute digestive infection, according to French health authorities cited by AP and local media.
A 92-year-old male passenger died on Sunday, but authorities had not confirmed a direct link between the death and the outbreak, AP reported.
The ship’s medical staff treated affected passengers and isolated them in cabins. Meanwhile, health teams collected samples to identify the cause of illness, according to AP.
French officials said the outbreak was not linked to a separate hantavirus incident on the MV Hondius. This was a different cruise ship that drew international concern earlier in May.
Initial reporting said authorities had advised against disembarkation while tests continued. As a result, shore excursions were cancelled and refunds offered to affected passengers, AP reported. Le Monde later reported that France blamed a stomach bug and lifted the lockdown on the ship.
The outbreak occurred in France, whose capital is Paris, in western Europe. Health authorities said initial tests did not indicate norovirus, while food poisoning had not been ruled out.
