90-Second Read: Another Cruise Is Hit With A Sickness Outbreak—But It’s Not Hantavirus

One person reportedly died this week aboard the Ambition, the ship with the norovirus outbreak, but the 92-year-old man died of a heart attack unrelated to the virus. French authorities have been clear there is no link between the norovirus outbreak on the Ambassador cruiseliner and the deadly Hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch vessel that has passengers quarantining all over the world, including 18 in the United States. That's how many outbreaks of gastrointestinal viruses occurred on cruise ships last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of which were caused by norovirus. The ship informed French health authorities of the situation before its scheduled stop in Bordeaux Tuesday, and officials ordered everyone to stay aboard the ship.

The ship, which has 1,701 people onboard, has also been authorized to continue its journey to Spain, though operators have not said when it will set sail. The close proximity of passengers moving from restaurant to theater to pool deck and back again on a cruise ship allows germs to move through the ship extremely quickly. A majority of a cruise ship's most popular amenities are indoors, and studies into cruise ship air quality have shown that illness can spread more easily in crowded, enclosed spaces like small cabins and restaurants.

The ship Ambition was on lockdown in Bordeaux after dozens of people caught a gastrointestinal virus. There have been four so far this year, two caused by norovirus and two by E. Some cruiseliners are also disproportionately popular with older people, who may be more seriously impacted by otherwise innocuous diseases like norovirus, and there's relatively limited medical care available at sea. The CDC recommends cruisers wash their hands often, get plenty of rest, drink a lot of water and move quickly to report any symptoms of illness to help limit the spread of disease on board.