The French authorities on Wednesday imposed a lockdown on a British cruise ship, carrying over 17,000 passengers, including 514 Indian crew members, docked in Bordeaux after a 90-year-old died.
According
to AFP, dozens suffered from upset stomachs aboard the Ambition – most of whose 1,233 passengers are from Britain or Ireland – which arrived in the western port of Bordeaux on Tuesday.
While rejecting any links with hantavirus, the health officials said a 90-year-old passenger on the cruise, run by the Ambassador Cruise Line company, died and about 50 people have shown symptoms of stomach issues.
AFP quoted them saying that the initial tests ruled out an outbreak of norovirus, a highly contagious form of gastroenteritis which causes vomiting and diarrhoea, but secondary tests were still underway.
The ship has left the Shetland Islands north of Scotland on May 6, stopped in Belfast in Northern Ireland and Liverpool in England before reaching Bordeaux, from where it was scheduled to depart for Spain.
What Is Norovirus?
Often called the “winter vomiting disease”, the highly contagious virus causes gastroenteritis and spreads mainly through contact with the vomit or faeces of an infected person. Individuals can continue to shed the virus for up to two weeks even after symptoms improve.
Symptoms of Norovirus
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Stomach cramps
- Fever
- Headache
- Body aches
How To Protect Yourself
Health experts recommend:
- Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Cleaning high-touch surfaces with bleach-based disinfectants
- Avoiding close contact and staying home when sick
- Not preparing food for others while symptomatic
- Practising food safety, such as cooking shellfish fully and washing fruits and vegetables
- Staying hydrated to prevent dehydration
