14.05.2026 22:10
A new link has been added to the chain of epidemic diseases showing an increase in cruise travel worldwide. While the echoes of Hantavirus cases detected on a ship recently continue, Norovirus cases that emerged on a passenger ship in France this time have alarmed the international public.
World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge reported that passengers who had been under quarantine for some time on a ship with norovirus cases that arrived in Bordeaux, France, have been evacuated.
"MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DIARRHEA WORLDWIDE"
Kluge made a post on his account on the social media platform of the US-based company X.
Expressing gratitude to French authorities for their rapid, compassionate, and transparent response to norovirus cases on the passenger ship named Ambition in Bordeaux, Kluge said, "After health inspections and public health measures, passengers were allowed to disembark. Approximately 50 people contracted norovirus, the most common cause of diarrhea worldwide."
Kluge noted that symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea for those affected by this virus can be extremely uncomfortable and distressing, especially while traveling away from home, and emphasized that no serious cases reported from the ship is a positive development.
"SIMILAR OUTBREAKS MAY OCCUR AS SUMMER APPROACHES"
Stating that the current situation has no connection to the hantavirus seen on the Dutch-flagged ship MV Hondius, which made world headlines, Kluge said, "As summer approaches and cruise travel increases, similar outbreaks may reoccur. What matters is rapid action, rapid testing, isolation of those with symptoms, clear communication, and providing practical support to passengers. We saw a strong example of this implemented in Bordeaux."
MORE THAN 1,700 PASSENGERS QUARANTINED
It was reported that more than 1,700 passengers were quarantined after a passenger on the ship arriving in Bordeaux died from suspected gastroenteritis, an infectious digestive system disease.
On the night of May 12, a person died from suspected gastroenteritis on the passenger ship Ambassador Cruise Line, which arrived in Bordeaux from Brest, France.