A third British national is suspected of having hantavirus due to an outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius. The government confirmed this development. The patient is currently on the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha. The ship made a stop there in mid-April.
The outbreak has affected several nationalities. Two other British men have confirmed cases of the virus. One remains in stable condition in the Netherlands. He was evacuated from the ship. The other is in intensive care. He was flown to South Africa last month. Five hantavirus cases are confirmed in total. One passenger on the cruise died from the illness. The MV Hondius is expected to dock in the Canary Islands this weekend. A chartered plane will fly remaining British passengers and crew back to the UK. None of the remaining Britons show symptoms currently. They will be asked to isolate upon their return home. British national Martin Anstee, 56, was evacuated to the Netherlands. He is a retired police officer and expedition guide. He said he was doing fine. Another British passenger, 69, also has a confirmed case. He was medically evacuated to South Africa. Officials say he is doing better.
Two other British nationals are self-isolating voluntarily in the UK. They had potential exposure. They do not have symptoms. They were part of a group of 30 people. These people came from a dozen nations. Seven Britons were in this group. They disembarked the ship at St Helena on April 24. The operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, reported the first confirmed case on May 4. All guests who disembarked have been contacted. Four Britons who disembarked at St Helena remain there. They do not have symptoms. They are in contact with health officials. Medical staff will go to the islands to offer support. A UK health official stated that British passengers will likely self-isolate for 45 days. This is upon their return to the country. Contact tracing is happening in other nations. This includes the Netherlands and Switzerland. Dozens of passengers left the ship before the outbreak was detected. The World Health Organization called it a serious incident. They noted the risk to the public is low. They stressed this outbreak is not like Covid-19.
Hantavirus typically spreads from rodents like mice and rats. Experts believe human-to-human transmission may have occurred in this situation. This is due to close contact. Symptoms include fever and fatigue. They can also include stomach pain and vomiting. Shortness of breath is another symptom. Symptoms appear two to four weeks after exposure. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the virus does not spread through everyday contact. Examples include walking in public places. In rare instances of human-to-human spread, contact was close and prolonged.