• French health authorities have isolated over 1,700 passengers and crew on a cruise ship in Bordeaux.
• A 90-year-old passenger died while about 50 others reported gastrointestinal symptoms.
• The outbreak is suspected to be norovirus, with no links to a hantavirus cluster on another vessel.

French health authorities have isolated more than 1,700 passengers and crew on the British cruise ship Ambition after the death of a 90-year-old passenger, believed to be due to a suspected gastrointestinal illness. Following the ship’s docking in Bordeaux, approximately 50 passengers began showing symptoms consistent with norovirus, prompting the quarantine as investigations ensued, according to BBC and Le Monde.

The Ambition left the Shetland Islands on May 6, traveling to Belfast, Liverpool, and Brest before reaching Bordeaux on May 12. French officials stated that there was no link between this cruise and the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, which had resulted in fatalities among its passengers, according to The Local and Reuters.

As of Wednesday, health officials reported that while tests ruled out norovirus initially, ongoing assessments suggested a gastrointestinal virus to be responsible for the symptoms. The cruise operator, Ambassador Cruise Line, implemented enhanced sanitation protocols aboard the ship, as reported by Los Angeles Times and Al Jazeera.

The affected passengers were confined to their cabins during the testing process, with reports indicating that several showed symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. A medical team was dispatched to the vessel to provide assistance, pending the outcome of testing, according to India Times and India Times.