Small number of Scots linked to hantavirus outbreak, says public health body

Key Points

Public Health Scotland says a small number of individuals may have had contact with cases
Currently no known cases of hantavirus in Scotland
Risk to the general public is very low, say experts
Potentially affected cases will be monitored for 45 days since exposure
Three people have died since outbeak on MV Hondius

A small number of people in Scotland may have been exposed to hantavirus, according to Public Health Scotland (PHS).

A rare strain of the virus broke out on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde.

PHS and NHS boards in Scotland say they are working to follow up with a “small number of individuals” who may have had contact with cases.

They say they will remain in close contact with these people for up to 45 days from the last potential exposure.

A rare strain of the virus broke out on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius. Oceanwide Expeditions

There are currently no known cases of hantavirus in Scotland, and the risk to the general public is very low, PHS said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed that a major incident occurred on the vessel, which was carrying around 150 tourists from various countries and left Ushuaia, Southern Argentina, around three weeks ago.

So far, 11 hantavirus cases have been reported among people on the cruise, including three deaths.

Nine of the 11 cases are confirmed, with two more probable cases.

Scotland

Hantavirus could spread quickly if it mutates, health expert warns

Devi Sridhar said it was ‘tricky to say’ how likely it would be for Scottish cases of the virus to arise

A 70-year-old male started to show signs of hantavirus while on board and died after arriving in St Helena Island. His 69-year-old wife also became ill and later died in a South African hospital.

On Tuesday, it was announced that ten Britons from the South Atlantic islands connected to the cruise ship MV Hondius, where the outbreak began, are to be brought to the UK in case they develop the illness.

The group, thought to be residents of the UK overseas territories of St Helena and Ascension, are being “brought to the UK to complete their self-isolation as a precautionary measure”, the UKHSA said.

What is hantavirus?

Hantaviruses are mainly spread by rodents, particularly through exposure to infected rodents’ urine or faeces.

But, while rare, it may spread between people and can lead to “severe respiratory illness”.

Symptoms usually appear between one and four weeks after being exposed to the virus, and include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or shortness of breath.

There is no specific treatment or cure, but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive medical attention early.

Scottish health expert: ‘Too early to say if cases will arise in Scotland’

Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, said it was “tricky to say” how likely it would be for Scottish cases to arise, as the cruise ship linked to an outbreak of the virus was full of people from different countries.

She said last week: “One, I would say it’s been much harder to respond to than if the outbreak was in China, or Scotland where you could have one public health authority.

“Instead, lots of different governments are involved, and they will all have their own response.”

Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh.

She added: “Even if we don’t see cases right away in Scotland or in Britain, as we’ve learned cases anywhere in the world can spread quickly once it mutates to a form that allows human-to-human transmission.”

Professor Sridhar also said people in Scotland shouldn’t change anything they are doing in their daily lives.

She said: “It’s too early to worry and too early not to worry. The UK is having a very forward-looking response.

“I wouldn’t change any plans right now, I would wait and see how this develops in the coming days.”

While the risk to the public is low, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said there could be more cases due to the incubation period of the Andes virus – the variant of hantavirus linked to the outbreak.

“Given the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can be up to six weeks, it’s possible that more cases may be reported,” he said.

“While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low.”