French health authorities are investigating if a norovirus outbreak is behind the confinement of more than 1,700 people aboard the cruise ship Ambition, docked in the port of Bordeaux, after a British passenger over 90 years old died and dozens of people began to present gastrointestinal symptoms.
Although preliminary analyses have not yet officially confirmed the presence of the virus, norovirus became from the outset one of the main working hypotheses due to the type of symptoms detected among passengers and crew: vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal discomfort.
Extremely contagious
Norovirus is one of the main causes of acute gastroenteritis in the world. It is a virus especially problematic in closed spaces and with high coexistence, such as residences, hospitals, schools, or cruises.
Its transmission capacity is very high: very few viral particles are enough to cause contagion. In addition, it can survive for hours or even days on contaminated surfaces.
The symptoms usually appear between 12 and 48 hours after exposure and, although they normally subside in a few days, they can cause severe dehydration in the elderly or those with pre-existing conditions.
How it spreads on a cruise
Cruises are one of the most conducive environments for the spread of norovirus due to the constant coexistence among passengers, the shared use of dining rooms, bathrooms, and common areas, and the rapid circulation of people between different enclosed spaces.
Contagion can occur through direct contact with infected people, through contaminated food or water, via contaminated surfaces, and by handling food prepared by sick people.
In the case of the ship confined in Bordeaux, about 50 people have reportedly developed symptoms compatible with acute gastroenteritis, which led to the activation of health protocols and the temporary limitation of disembarkation while medical tests continue.
French authorities have pointed out, however, that food poisoning or another origin of the outbreak cannot yet be ruled out.
New blow to the cruise sector
The Bordeaux case comes just a few days after the international episode caused by the outbreak of hantavirus detected on the Antarctic cruise ship MV Hondius, which left several dead and forced the coordination of international evacuations and quarantines before the ship's arrival in the Canary Islands.
The WHO even warned of the possibility of new infections due to the long incubation period of the virus and the high interaction between passengers during the journey.
Although norovirus and hantavirus present very different risks —the former usually causes mild or moderate gastrointestinal conditions and the latter can lead to severe respiratory infections—, both episodes have once again focused attention on the health vulnerability of cruise ships to contagious diseases.
This type of incident threatens to affect public perception of cruise tourism, a sector that still carries the memory of the reputational impact suffered during the covid-19 pandemic and that especially depends on the health confidence of travelers