France confines more than 1,700 on British cruise ship in Bordeaux after gastroenteritis outbreak

PARIS (AP) — Over 1,700 passengers and unit connected a British cruise vessel were ordered to stay connected committee aft an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness, French authorities said Wednesday.

They dismissed immoderate nexus to a deadly hantavirus outbreak connected different vas that has enactment European wellness authorities connected alert.

The Ambition was midway done a 14-night cruise from Belfast and Liverpool that was owed to instrumentality successful ports successful bluish Spain and on France’s Atlantic coast.

It reached Bordeaux connected Tuesday evening, according to the operator, Ambassador Cruise Line.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 23 outbreaks of gastrointestinal unwellness connected cruise ships visiting U.S. ports successful 2025, the highest yearly full successful much than a decade. Most were caused by norovirus, including a caller strain driving the caller surge.

The prefect of Nouvelle-Aquitaine portion and Gironde department, Étienne Guyot, suspended disembarkation from the Ambition and restricted the vessel’s interactions with the larboard of Bordeaux.

He acted connected the proposal of the determination wellness agency, the Agence Régionale de Santé Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the associated connection said.

Up to 50 passengers showed symptoms accordant with acute digestive corruption aft the ship’s skipper alerted French authorities connected Tuesday evening, the connection said.

Those affected were treated by the ship’s doc and isolated successful their cabins.

A aesculapian squad was dispatched to the vessel, and samples are being analyzed astatine a Bordeaux hospital.

“There is nary crushed to found a nexus betwixt this outbreak aboard a cruise vessel from Belfast and Liverpool and the hantavirus cases detected aboard the MV Hondius,” the associated connection said.

The hantavirus outbreak aboard the Hondius past period prompted a multicountry effect and the hospitalization of passengers successful Britain, France, Spain and the United States. Three passengers died and determination person been 9 confirmed cases, with different 2 suspected.

An update is expected aboriginal connected Wednesday, erstwhile investigation results are available.

Ambassador Cruise Line said earlier Wednesday that a 92-year-old antheral rider had died connected Sunday, though helium had not reported symptoms accordant with the illness, and that his origin of decease was yet to beryllium established by a coroner.

The institution said 48 passengers and 1 unit subordinate were displaying gastrointestinal symptoms arsenic of precocious Wednesday morning.

Ambassador said its information showed cases had risen aft passengers boarded successful Liverpool connected May 9. All enactment excursions astatine Bordeaux had been canceled and affected passengers offered afloat refunds, the institution said.

Ambassador Cruise Line, a British relation targeting passengers implicit 50, was founded successful 2021.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.