Two people who returned to UK from hantavirus cruise ship 'self-isolating'

Two people who were onboard the hantavirus cruise ship who have independently returned to the UK have been told to self-isolate.

The UK Health Security Agency said that “the risk to the general public remains very low” following the outbreak on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde.

The vessel was carrying around 150 tourists from various countries and left Ushuaia, Southern Argentina, around three weeks ago.

The outbreak of the virus has been linked to a birdwatching expedition in Argentina, which two of the passengers went on before boarding the ship.

Scotland

Devi Sridhar: ‘Too early to say if we should worry about hantavirus’

The major incident was reported on the MV Hondius, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde

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.

Two other cases of the virus have been confirmed, tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions said.

A British passenger, described as in a critical but stable condition, has been confirmed to have the virus and is being treated in South Africa.

Three people with suspected hantavirus, including a British crew member, have been medically evacuated from the cruise ship, the World Health Organisation has confirmed.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, posted on X: “Monitoring and follow-up for passengers on board and for those who have already disembarked has been initiated in collaboration with the ship’s operators and national health authorities.

“At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low.”

There were 19 British nationals listed as passengers on the ship, along with four British crew members.