Cruise Ship Locked Down in France Over Illness
Over 1,700 passengers and crew are stuck on a cruise ship in Bordeaux, France. French health officials ordered everyone to stay on board.
The British ship is called the Ambition and is run by Ambassador Cruise Line. About 50 people have signs of a stomach illness.
French health officials are running tests on the ship. Samples are being checked at a hospital in Bordeaux.
Early tests ruled out norovirus but more tests are still running. French leaders confirmed the illness has no link to a separate hantavirus outbreak.
A 92-year-old passenger died during the voyage. Ambassador Cruise Line said he had no stomach illness signs before he died.
His cause of death has not yet been confirmed. The death is not confirmed to be linked to the illness outbreak.
The Ambition was on a 14-night cruise from Belfast and Liverpool. Cases started rising after passengers boarded in Liverpool on May 9.
Key Terms 3
- Norovirus A very contagious stomach bug causing vomiting and diarrhea.
- Hantavirus A rare virus spread by rodents; not related to this outbreak.
- Gastrointestinal illness Sickness affecting the stomach and bowels causing nausea or diarrhea.