A cruise ship where around 15 people have been isolated after being struck down with a “cholera outbreak” has been refused from docking at a port. Mauritius has turned away a Norwegian cruise liner from mooring at Port Louis.
It is the Norwegian Dawn that has seen the number of sick passengers grow, and now Mauritian authorities have asked it not to stop at its capital port in a decision to “avoid any health risks.”
According to the BBC, samples have been taken to establish whether or not it is deadly cholera, with test results expected by Tuesday. The illness is a stomach bug which causes vomiting, diarrhea, thirst and restlessness.
It is mostly common in countries where access to clean drinking water is lacking, with outbreaks already being recorded in South Africa over the last few months, notably Zambia, which the BBC said has been hit hardest.
It’s reported the passengers started getting mild symptoms after a trip to South Africa, according to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. The illness is caught from drinking water where faecial bacteria is prevalent.
The Mauritius Ports Authority told the BBC: “The health and safety of passengers as well as that of the country as a whole are of the utmost to the authorities.”
The vessel contains just under 2,200 guests and just over 1,000 crew members. It’s claimed that around 2,000 had planned to get off the boat at Port Louis, while another 2,000 had been expected to get on.
The cross-over appears to have instilled fear in the authorities over the potential spread of the bug. Passengers are now expected to disembark on February 27, it’s reported.
