Two Britons Self-isolating After Returning To Uk From Hantavirus-hit Ship, Say Officials

Two group who were onboard a cruise vessel deed pinch a deadly outbreak of hantavirus person returned to nan UK and are self-isolating, British wellness officials person said.

Neither of nan 2 British people, who near MV Hondius astatine St Helena successful precocious April, are reporting symptoms, according to nan UK Health Security Agency (UKSA).

A British unit member was medically evacuated from nan vessel aft falling sick and flown to nan Netherlands for master care.

Three group connected nan MV Hondius person died since 11 April. As of Thursday, location person been 8 suspected cases, 3 of which were confirmed arsenic hantavirus – a uncommon family of viruses carried by rodents – by laboratory testing, according to nan World Health Organization (WHO).

“It’s important to reassure group that nan consequence to nan wide nationalist remains very low,” said Dr Meera Chand, lawman head for pandemic and emerging infections astatine nan UKHSA.

“We are opinionated up arrangements to support, isolate and show British nationals from nan vessel connected their return to nan UK and we are contact-tracing anyone who whitethorn person been successful interaction pinch nan vessel aliases nan hantavirus cases to limit nan consequence of onward transmission.”

Medical removal formation aft landing astatine Schiphol connected Thursday pinch a diligent perchance infected pinch hantavirus. Photograph: Michel van Bergen/EPA

It is understood 19 British nationals were listed among nan 150 passengers connected nan cruise, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde, pinch 4 British unit members. The outbreak has been linked to a birdwatching expedition successful Argentina joined by 2 passengers earlier they boarded nan ship.

Officials successful Argentina, from wherever nan cruise departed, are scrambling to determine if nan state was nan root of nan deadly outbreak. The Latin American country, which has reported 101 hantavirus infections since June 2025, is consistently classed by nan WHO arsenic having nan highest incidence of nan rare, rodent-borne disease.

The UK wellness agency said erstwhile nan vessel docks successful Tenerife, nan remaining British nationals tin beryllium repatriated if they do not create symptoms. It said nary of nan British nationals onboard are presently reporting symptoms, but they are being intimately monitored.

Spain’s wellness minisuer Monica Garcia said connected Wednesday that nary of nan passengers near onboard nan vessel were presenting symptoms of nan illness and would beryllium repatriated to their countries. The 14 Spaniards connected committee would beryllium flown to a infirmary successful Madrid to quarantine, Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said connected Wednesday.

Martin Anstee was medically evacuated from nan vessel aft falling ill. Photograph: Facebook

Among nan 3 individuals medically evacuated from nan vessel connected Wednesday was British unit personnel Martin Anstee. The expedition guideline and erstwhile constabulary serviceman was flown to nan Netherlands and said from infirmary saying: “I’m doing OK. I’m not emotion excessively bad. There are still tons of tests to beryllium done.”

It was a “good sign” Anstee was capable to pass pinch family, said Prof Robin May, main technological serviceman astatine nan UKHSA, adding that he would beryllium nether investigations for immoderate time. May besides told BBC Breakfast connected Thursday that nan 2 British nationals who near nan cruise earlier connected its people had returned to nan UK earlier nan outbreak was detected.

“There’s a chance they whitethorn person been exposed to nan virus, truthful we person been successful interaction pinch them. They person agreed very kindly to self-isolate for nan adjacent play of time,” said May, who said nan aforesaid process would use to different British nationals onboard.

May said hantaviruses arsenic a group are wide crossed nan world. The viruses people infect rodents and are “occasionally” transmitted to humans, according to nan WHO, done interaction pinch infected rodents aliases their urine, droppings aliases saliva.

A attraction is an Andean strain, which has shown grounds of constricted quality to quality transmission successful nan past among adjacent contact, according to nan WHO. Found successful South American, it tin origin a terrible and often fatal lune illness called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Found successful Europe and Asia, nan viruses tin origin haemorrhagic fever pinch renal syndrome.

May said nan Andes microorganism strain has been studied intently because it is “such a terrible disease” and location were world efforts to create vaccines against it.

“This is not a microorganism that spreads easy betwixt humans,” he added, but fixed it tin dispersed betwixt individuals, “we are interaction tracing everyone who mightiness person been successful adjacent contact.”