Hantavirus cases have emerged across 13 nations spanning four continents as fears over the rat virus’s spread grow. The outbreak has been linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship after passengers travelling from Argentina began falling ill, with three deaths now reported.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed two British nationals have contracted hantavirus while revealing “an additional suspected case of a British national on Tristan da Cunha”. The suspected case remains on the remote South Atlantic island, while the two confirmed British patients are being treated in hospitals in the Netherlands and South Africa. When the MV Hondius arrived at St Helena on April 24, 29 passengers disembarked, including seven British travellers. Among them was a Dutch woman who later became ill during onward travel and died. Health authorities first confirmed a hantavirus infection in a passenger on May 2, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Officials in countries including South Africa, Singapore and the Netherlands are now tracing passengers who travelled aboard the vessel.
The WHO said the first two confirmed cases involved a Dutch couple who had travelled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay before boarding the ship.
According to the UKHSA, the vessel is expected to arrive in Tenerife on Sunday based on the latest information from Spanish health authorities.
A UKHSA statement said: “UK Government staff will be on the ground ready to support the British nationals disembarking.
“British passengers and ship crew not displaying any symptoms of hantavirus will be escorted by UK Government staff to an airport and given free passage back to the UK.”
Foreign Office staff and UKHSA officials are continuing to assist passengers, while a specially arranged repatriation flight is being organised for travellers and crew members.
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