French health authorities have activated emergency health protocols on a cruise ship docked in Bordeaux, after the death of an elderly passenger amid a suspected norovirus outbreak.
The MS Ambition, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, arrived in the western French city on Tuesday. According to reports, the vessel is carrying 1,233 passengers and 514 crew members, most of them from Britain and Ireland. Around 50 people have shown symptoms consistent with acute gastrointestinal infection.
The passenger who died was a 90-year-old woman who had reportedly displayed symptoms linked to norovirus, a highly contagious form of gastroenteritis that can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Authorities are still examining the exact circumstances of her death and have not ruled out other possible causes, including food poisoning.
French officials said the health protocol activated for the incident includes keeping passengers and crew on board while medical teams assess those affected. It remains unclear how long the restrictions will remain in place.
Authorities have also clarified that there is no indication the incident is connected to the separate hantavirus outbreak reported recently on another cruise ship in the Atlantic, which has been linked to three deaths.
