French authorities on Wednesday eased restrictions on passengers on the British cruise ship Ambition after tests confirmed that a gastrointestinal virus, possibly norovirus, rather than hantavirus, was behind an outbreak that sickened dozens of people on board.The cruise ship, operated by Ambassador Cruise Lines, had earlier been temporarily blocked in the port city of Bordeaux amid concerns it could be linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius.However, French authorities said there was “no reason” to link the two incidents.
What happened on the ship?
Authorities said about 80 people aboard the Ambition have developed symptoms related to acute gastrointestinal infections since Monday.As of Wednesday morning, at least 48 passengers and one crew member were still experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms, the Associated Press reported.The ship was carrying 1,233 passengers, mostly from the UK and Ireland, and 514 crew members.French officials said tests confirmed the outbreak was a “viral gastrointestinal infection.” No serious cases were reported and asymptomatic passengers were subsequently allowed to disembark.Passengers who are still sick are required to remain in isolation in the cabin.The ship departed from Shetland on May 6, calling at Belfast and Liverpool before arriving in Bordeaux. It was scheduled to continue to Spain before returning to Liverpool on 22 May.
Passenger dies during voyage
Concerns initially grew after a 92-year-old British passenger died on board.But health officials later said the man suffered from heart disease and his death did not appear to be related to a gastrointestinal outbreak.“No link to the gastroenteritis episode has been established at this stage,” authorities said, according to AFP.Officials added that in accordance with international maritime practice, the bodies of the passengers remained on board.
Passengers describe the situation on board
Authorities said the restrictions were imposed “out of an abundance of caution” amid global concerns over a separate hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius.Seos Guilidhe, a passenger from Belfast, told AFP via Facebook that life on the ship remained relatively normal despite the heightened hygiene measures.“We have extra hygiene guidelines in place on board. The situation is not as bad as it was during COVID. People are doing fine,” he said while “playing bingo” on board.He later added: “We were allowed to disembark and restrictions were lifted.”Others described more difficult conditions. “Being two of us in a cabin with a virus is a challenge,” one infected passenger wrote on Facebook, according to AFP.
Why authorities are cautious
This outbreak has attracted additional attention due to the recent hantavirus outbreak on board the MV Hondius, which triggered an international health response.The World Health Organization has confirmed eight laboratory cases of Andes virus on the Hondius, the only strain of hantavirus known to spread from person to person. Three passengers have died linked to the outbreak.Health authorities stress that there is currently no evidence linking the Ambition outbreak to hantavirus cases.Cruise ships frequently face gastrointestinal outbreaks, often related to norovirus.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 23 cruise ship outbreaks last year.Gastroenteritis is often called the stomach flu. Its main symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. The disease spreads easily but usually does not cause serious consequences, although it can occasionally lead to more serious problems such as dehydration.It is very different from hantaviruses, which have a high mortality rate but are only spread in rare cases and require close contact.