Passengers on a cruise stuck in France after a norovirus outbreak are finally being allowed to leave the ship.
The Ambition, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, had been held in Bordeaux after dozens of people onboard came down with a gastrointestinal disease. In total, 49 cases were reported.
French health officials later confirmed that the outbreak was caused by norovirus, a highly contagious stomach bug that spreads easily between people and through contaminated surfaces.
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
After testing, passengers who did not show symptoms were cleared to leave the ship, and cruise operations were allowed to continue.
Anyone who is sick, however, still has to remain isolated. The ship is also continuing with extra cleaning, medical checks, and stricter hygiene measures to prevent the virus from spreading.
According to the cruise line, a 92-year-old passenger died onboard Sunday. However, officials said he had not shown symptoms connected to the outbreak, and the cause of death remains unknown.
A separate passenger was also taken to a hospital in Bordeaux after suffering a fall. That person’s condition was reported to be stable, and the incident was not related to the virus outbreak.
At the time of the outbreak, there were around 1,187 passengers and more than 500 crew members onboard the ship.
Officials stressed there was no connection between this outbreak and the separate hantavirus situation linked to another cruise ship.
The Ambition originally departed Belfast on May 8, before stopping in Liverpool the following day. According to the cruise company, cases started going up after more passengers boarded the ship at that stop.
To prevent the virus from spreading, self-serve buffets on the ship were restricted, and utensils were handed out individually; pools and hot tubs were also shut down.
The common areas were also cleaned constantly while those who were sick stayed isolated inside their cabins.
Passengers were also reminded repeatedly to wash their hands frequently and to report any symptoms to the medical team onboard right away.
When the ship arrived for its scheduled stop in Bordeaux, the operator alerted French health authorities about the outbreak.
Health officials from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region later sent a medical team onboard to investigate and collect samples for testing.
