So, do you love cruises and you also love Brazil? Well, it can seem a perfect combination but read further...
Hundreds of passengers on a Swiss-owned cruise ship were stricken with severe vomiting and diarrhea caused by a mysterious ailment, Brazilian health officials said Thursday.
At least 340 victims have been sickened on the MSC Sinfonia, now docked in Salvador, Bahia, according to a spokeswoman for the National Agency for Sanitary Vigilance. She spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with department policy.
The illness didn't appear to be life-threatening and most passengers were recovering Thursday.
The agency said later in a statement that an inspection found problems with the amount of chlorine in the ship's drinking water and with the storage of some perishable food items, notably mayonnaise.
But officials said they would not know what caused the illness until they wrap up their investigation.
