A British passenger has died and dozens are ailing following a suspected norovirus outbreak on a cruise ship with nearly 2,000 people on board.
French health officials have confined 1,700 tourists and crew on the Ambassador Cruise Line ship in Bordeaux, southwestern France, after concerns over a passenger’s death.
Dozens of persons are showing symptoms of the sickness bug, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
The Ambition vessel, with nearly all of the passengers from Britain or Ireland, docked near Bordeaux yesterday, where health authorities embarked to gather samples for testing.
Ambassador Cruise Line told Metro that a 92-year-old male guest on the ship passed away on Sunday. May 10.
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The passenger, who is known to be British, died before the ship arrived in Brest.
Ambassador Cruise Line said the passenger didn’t report any gastroenteritis symptoms, and the explanation for death is yet to be confirmed by the coroner.
An additional 49 people have shown symptoms of the highly infectious illness, which may spread through surfaces and on contact. That is around 2.9% of individuals on board the vessel.
Cases reported on board increased after more guests embarked from Liverpool on Saturday, May 9, Ambassador Cruise Line said.
Ambassador said in a press release: ‘We’re providing every support to the deceased’s family and friends and extend our most sincere condolences to them at this difficult time.’
The corporate said any illnesses aboard are taken ‘extremely seriously,’ and that enhanced sanitation and prevention measures were immediately put into place across the ship in keeping with public health procedures.
‘The excellent health and safety measures introduced include increased cleansing and disinfection measures in public areas, assisted service in chosen dining venues and ongoing guidance to guests regarding hand hygiene, including regular hand washing, use of hand sanitisers and the prompt reporting of any symptoms to the onboard medical team,’ Ambassador Cruise Line said.
All passengers and crew have been told to remain on board the cruise as per instructions from the French authorities, with all shore trips cancelled.
Passengers can be allowed to depart after they’ve been given clearance from the officials.
Health authorities and the cruise operator said the incident had no links to hantavirus.
One woman on board said the passengers have been ‘having fun with themselves.’
Cheryl, from Dublin, told The Journal: ‘Everybody is having fun with themselves on board here and myself and my mam are loving life and having fun with the nightlife and entertainment they must offer us. The rooms are beautiful and staff are all very friendly.
‘Just hope we get to go off from here soon.’
The cruise ship had left the Shetland Islands on May 6 before stopping in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
From there, it continued to Liverpool and to Brest in western France before heading to Bordeaux.
It was because of travel on to Spain before the suspected infection put a stop to the journey.
Metro has approached the Foreign Office for a comment.
Meanwhile, the passengers from the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius cruise were evacuated earlier this week following their journey from Argentina and the South Atlantic to Tenerife, where the ship was in a position to dock on Sunday.
British passengers were tested and evacuated to a hospital in Merseyside, while the cruise ship continued to the Netherlands for disinfection carrying the body of a German tourist who had died of a suspected hantavirus infection.
Officials from dozens of nations rushed to trace individuals who can have been in touch with passengers from the cruise after some people disembarked on their very own on the island of St Helena.
Ten people from the distant St Helena and Ascension Island, that are British overseas territories, were later flown to the UK to self-isolate as a precaution after that they had contact with infected passengers.
The World Health Organisation and experts insist that hantavirus isn’t like Covid-19 after mounting concern over the deadly illness.
Over the weekend, the Caribbean Princess cruise was hit with a viral norovirus outbreak, with greater than 100 passengers falling ailing.
The huge ship carrying 3,116 passengers and crew was on its approach to the Dominican Republic when the violent sickness bug ripped through it.
What are the symptoms of norovirus?
The norovirus bug causes stomach inflammation (acute gastroenteritis).
It’s spread through contact with contaminated surfaces, faeces, vomit or coming to direct contact with an infected person.
You would possibly experience the next if you’ve gotten been infected:
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Diarrhoea
- Being sick (vomiting)
- These last two may even occur at the identical time, which provides norovirus its notoriety as an illness you don’t need to get
- You may also experience a extreme temperature, headaches and aching legs and arms
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