France confines 1,700 passengers on cruise ship after suspected gastroenteritis outbreak

By Marta Iraola Iribarren & with AFP Published on 13/05/2026 - 15:33 GMT+2 Share Comments Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp

More than 1,000 passengers on board a cruise ship off the coast of Bordeaux are held on the vessel after a gastroenteritis outbreak has infected around 50 passengers.

More than 1,700 people have been confined on Wednesday aboard a cruise ship in Bordeaux, southwestern France, after a passenger died and dozens of others developed symptoms linked to a suspected gastroenteritis outbreak, French media reported.

ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT

“According to information provided last night by the ship's captain, up to around 50 passengers have experienced symptoms consistent with an acute digestive infection,” the local health authorities wrote in a press release.

These passengers were immediately taken care of by the ship's doctor and isolated in their cabins.

The cruise ship Ambition, part of the Ambassador Cruise Line company, 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.

The regional health agency in Nouvelle-Aquitaine said that a medical team has been dispatched on board to carry out a health situation assessment, and samples are currently being collected by the infectious disease department of Bordeaux University Hospital.

“There is no reason to draw any connection between this outbreak aboard a cruise ship arriving from Belfast and Liverpool and the hantavirus cases detected on the MV Hondius,” the French health authorities said.

As a precautionary measure, “given the contagious nature of gastroenteritis-type illnesses and pending the results of the samples,” the local authorities have decided to suspend the disembarkation of passengers and crew and limit interactions with the port.

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, they added.

Food poisoning had not been excluded.

Passengers on board the Ambition showed peak symptoms on Monday when the ship was docked in Brest, the officials said.

Gastroenteritis is common on cruise ships

Onboard outbreaks are uncommon relative to the total number of voyages, but when they do occur are often related to gastrointestinal viruses.

The United States’ Vessel Sanitation Program has registered four outbreaks in 2026, two related to norovirus and two from E.coli.

“Food service plays a big part in this risk. Buffet-style dining, shared utensils, and many people touching the same surfaces can make it easier for stomach bugs to spread,” Vikram Niranjan, assistant professor in public health at the University of Limerick in Ireland, wrote in The Conversation.

Go to accessibility shortcuts Share Comments

Read more

Health news

Scientists race to develop hantavirus vaccine for new strain