PARIS, May 13 (Reuters)\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Local authorities in southwest France stopped passengers and crew from leaving a cruise ship in Bordeaux on Wednesday, as a precautionary measure after dozens of cases of possible gastroenteritis on board.<\/p>\n
There is no reason to link what looks like a stomach flu outbreak on a ship that came from Belfast and Liverpool with the\u00a0hantavirus\u00a0cluster on the luxury Hondius ship<\/a> that travelled between Argentina and the Canary Islands, the regional health authority said in a statement.<\/p>\n One 92-year-old British passenger had passed away on board of cardiac arrest during a stop in Brest, Brittany, on May 11. That death did not appear to be associated with the gastrointestinal outbreak at this stage, the Gironde Prefecture said.<\/p>\n Will Hantavirus ship ever sail again? <\/a><\/p>\n The vessel was carrying 1,233 passengers, most of them British or Irish nationals and 514 crew members. One passenger was a French national.<\/p>\n The ban on disembarking passengers is temporary and pending the outcome of medical tests, officials said.<\/p>\n The ship\u2019s operator, Ambassador Cruise Line<\/a>, said in a Facebook post that enhanced sanitation and prevention protocols had immediately been implemented on the vessel, named the Ambition. \u201cOnce clearance is granted, guests will be permitted to disembark,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n Gastrointestinal illnesses<\/a> can be common on cruise ships. The U.S. \u200bCenters for \u200cDisease Control \u200band \u200bPrevention (CDC) has reported two outbreaks of E. coli and two outbreaks of norovirus this year already on cruise ships.<\/p>\n Gastroenteritis is a stomach flu. The main symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. It is very contagious but usually does not have major consequences, though it can sometimes lead to more severe symptoms including dehydration.<\/p>\n Se. Rand Paul leads hearing on origins of Covid-19 <\/a><\/p>\n