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French health authorities ordered the confinement of 1,747 people aboard the cruise ship MS Ambition this Wednesday, following the confirmation of a gastrointestinal outbreak that has already claimed the life of a 90-year-old British passenger.
According to the EFE agency, the ship is operated by the British cruise line Ambassador Cruise Line, and arrived yesterday at the port of Bordeaux coming from the Shetland Islands, with previous stops in Belfast, Liverpool, and Brest.
The victim passed away before the ship docked in Bordeaux, showing symptoms of acute gastroenteritis.
On board are 1,233 passengers—mostly British and Irish—and 514 crew members of Indian nationality.
At least 50 people are showing symptoms consistent with acute gastrointestinal infection: vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach discomfort.
The authorities deployed medical teams and ordered tests to determine the cause of the outbreak.
The norovirus was the initial hypothesis, but the first analyses preliminarily ruled it out. New samples were sent to the hospital in Bordeaux for analysis.
Food poisoning was also not ruled out as a possible cause. According to available data, the cases began to multiply after the embarkation of passengers in Liverpool last Friday.
French authorities explicitly clarified that the outbreak is not related to a hantavirus incident reported on another cruise ship in the Atlantic, which had caused three deaths and generated public alarm in the days preceding.
The affected voyage is a 14-night journey called "Delights of Western France & Spain Explorer," with the final destination in Spain, leaving the continuation of the itinerary for the confined passengers in limbo.
The MS Ambition is not unfamiliar with recent news: in January 2025, the ship made a stop at the port of Havana, marking the first time that the cruise line has reached Cuban waters.
The incident occurs in a context of growing concern over health on cruise ships: just last Friday, the cruise ship Caribbean Princess reported an outbreak of norovirus affecting 102 passengers and 13 crew members after departing from Florida, as reported by Infobae.
Norovirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in closed environments such as cruise ships, hospitals, and schools, with attack rates of up to 50% and a minimum infectious dose of just 18 viral particles, making it one of the most contagious pathogens known.
While tests are underway at the Bordeaux hospital, the 1,747 passengers aboard the MS Ambition remain confined on board as they await the authorities' determination of the outbreak's origin and whether to allow the journey to continue.
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