A cruise ship has been quarantined in France due to an outbreak of infection
In France, the cruise ship Ambition, carrying more than 1,700 people, has been temporarily detained. The reason was a possible outbreak of gastroenteritis and the death of one of the passengers. Authorities have suspended disembarkation and imposed health restrictions, according to Le Parisien.
The cruise ship Ambition, which arrived in Bordeaux, France, became the focus of a health investigation after dozens of people on board complained of symptoms of an acute intestinal infection. According to French authorities, there are currently 1,233 passengers and 514 crew members on board the ship. Most of the tourists are citizens of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
In a joint statement, the Gironde Prefecture and the regional health agency reported that “up to fifty passengers exhibited symptoms consistent with an acute intestinal infection.” These primarily include vomiting and diarrhea. According to local media, the highest number of cases was recorded on May 11, when the ship was in Brest.
Following this, French authorities activated a special health protocol. Disembarkation of passengers and crew was temporarily prohibited, and the ship’s contact with the port was significantly restricted. However, medical teams are permitted to board the ship to examine people and provide assistance. The death of one passenger has also been reported. The man was over 90 years old. According to preliminary data, he died before the ship arrived at the port.
The ship is owned by Ambassador Cruise Line. The cruise began on May 6 in the Shetland Islands. After that, the ship called at Belfast, Liverpool, and Brest, and was then scheduled to proceed to Spain. Doctors have not ruled out that food on board could have caused the outbreak, but final conclusions have not yet been reached.
Separately, French authorities emphasized that the current situation is not related to the hantavirus outbreak previously reported on another cruise ship—the MV Hondius. “There is no reason to see a connection between this outbreak on board the cruise ship and the cases of hantavirus,” the prefecture stated.
Currently, medical personnel are continuing examinations and laboratory tests, and passengers are remaining on board until all sanitary procedures are completed.
France has called on European Union countries to strengthen cooperation and coordination to curb the spread of hantavirus following the outbreak on the cruise ship.
The Health Center has provided advice on how to protect oneself from hantavirus.
The head of the WHO noted that hantavirus is not a new COVID.
Hantavirus outbreak: experts assess the risks of a global pandemic.
