A cruise ship in Bordeaux carrying 1,700 passengers remains under quarantine following the death of a 90-year-old British man on board. Health authorities have confirmed that the quarantine is not related to hantavirus, though they are concerned about a possible gastroenteritis outbreak.
The elderly passenger was not the only one to fall ill. Of the 1,233 passengers on board, approximately 50 developed symptoms.
Initial on-board tests ruled out norovirus, but supplementary analysis is currently underway at Bordeaux’s hospital center. Health authorities have not excluded the possibility of food poisoning as the cause.
According to the regional newspaper Sud-Ouest, which first broke the story, a medical team from the university hospital was airlifted to the vessel during the night. A second medical team was dispatched to collect samples, which were then sent for laboratory analysis. The Regional Health Agency (ARS) and the local prefect have ordered all passengers to remain on board.
