Authorities in France confined more than 1,700 passengers aboard a cruise ship in Bordeaux after one passenger died and dozens developed possible symptoms of gastroenteritis. The information was confirmed by AFP.
The Ambassador Cruise Line ship departed the Shetland Islands, in the United Kingdom, on May 6, and made stops in Belfast, Liverpool and Brest before arriving in Bordeaux, where it was scheduled to depart for Spain.
Around 50 passengers suffered gastrointestinal problems, including a 92-year-old passenger who died. The peak of symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea in affected passengers occurred on May 11, when the ship was in the French city of Brest.
Initial tests ruled out the presence of Norovirus and Hantavirus, but further analyzes are still being carried out at the Bordeaux hospital, French health authorities said. The possibility of food poisoning has not yet been ruled out.
As a safety measure, local authorities suspended the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers and crew, in addition to limiting interactions with the port until all results are available and a possible risk of contamination is ruled out.
