A mysterious illness that has struck at least 100 passengers on a Norwegian cruise ship has raised the alarm in Mauritius authoritieswhich they banned the Norwegian Dawn from docking in the capital Port Louis.

According to the African state’s port authority, the cruise ship is considered a potential public health hazard while the health authorities of Mauritius took samples on Sunday from about 15 passengers who are in isolation on the ship.

According to cruise specialist website cruise.blog, authorities are testing the samples for cholera.

According to reports from passengers on the ship, there are over 100 people who experienced the same symptoms, mainly diarrhea and vomiting.

The Norwegian Dawn remains in quarantine with 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew members.

“The decision not to allow the cruise ship access to the quay was taken to avoid any health risks”the competent port authority of Mauritius said, without elaborating on the nature of the health risk.

A spokesperson for US-based Norwegian Cruise Line said that during the ship’s voyage to South Africa on February 13, some passengers exhibited “mild symptoms of a stomach-related illness.”

“We sincerely apologize for this mishap. We have been informed that we will likely be able to disembark on Tuesday, February 27, 2024,” Norwegian informed the ship’s passengers.

With information from cruise.blog, Reuters