Just days after a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, France has now confined around 1,700 people on a separate ship due to a gastroenteritis outbreak, raising fears of another Covid-like pandemic.
One of the passengers aboard the ship off the coast of Bordeaux in southwestern France has died and several others are experiencing symptoms of what authorities believe is an outbreak of gastroenteritis, or commonly known as the stomach flu.
Updating on the issue in a press release, local health authorities said: “According to information provided by the ship’s captain last night, up to around 50 passengers have experienced symptoms consistent with an acute digestive infection.”
Reports suggest that the vessel’s medical team attended to the passengers and isolated them in their cabins to prevent it from spreading.
French health authorities have ruled out any potential link between the stomach flu outbreak and the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius.
The authorities decided to prevent the disembarkation of passengers and crew, while emphasizing that initial tests indicate that it is not an outbreak of norovirus.
What is gastroenteritis?
The Cleveland Clinic describes gastroenteritis as an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhea and vomiting, often spread by contact with an infected person, contaminated food/water, or surfaces.
The most common causes of gastroenteritis:
This stomach flu is most often caused by viral infections. Most cases are caused by norovirus (which has been ruled out by initial tests) in adults and rotavirus in infants and children.
French authorities have not ruled out the possibility of food poisoning.
Transmission methods:
The infection spreads through:
- Contaminated food/water: Ingestion of poorly prepared food or water with faecal contamination.
- Person-to-person contact: Close contact with an infected individual (eg, sharing food, touching contaminated surfaces).
- Fecal-oral route: Often occurs when the hands are not washed properly after going to the toilet or changing nappies
Key symptoms:
Key symptoms of gastroenteritis include fever, nausea, abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea and vomiting.
Prevention:
The most effective way to prevent gastroenteritis is to practice strict hand hygiene and food safety. Because norovirus is highly resistant to alcohol, hand sanitizer should not replace soap and water.
