French authorities isolate 1,700 cruise ship passengers after suspected norovirus death

French authorities on Wednesday confined more than 1,700 passengers and crew aboard a cruise ship docked in Bordeaux after a passenger died from a suspected norovirus infection, officials said.

The Ambassador Cruise Line vessel Ambition, carrying 1,233 passengers, mostly from Britain and Ireland, arrived at the western French port on Tuesday.



Health officials said a 90-year-old passenger had died, while around 50 people onboard showed symptoms consistent with norovirus, a highly contagious stomach infection that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.

The ship had departed the Shetland Islands on May 6 and made stops in Belfast, Liverpool and Brest before reaching Bordeaux. It was scheduled to continue onward to Spain.

Norovirus outbreaks aboard cruise ships have been reported frequently in recent years due to the close-contact environment onboard. Earlier this month, more than 100 passengers and crew members on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship in the US fell ill with symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).



The virus, which is highly contagious and a leading cause of foodborne illness, spreads quickly through contaminated food, water, surfaces or contact with infected individuals. Health authorities say symptoms usually develop within 12 to 48 hours of exposure and commonly include stomach pain, nausea, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.

In response to such outbreaks, cruise operators typically increase sanitation measures and isolate affected passengers and crew to prevent further spread.