A third British individual is suspected to have contracted hantavirus, following an outbreak on a cruise ship. The patient is currently on Tristan da Cunha, where the ship made a stop in mid-April. The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed two other Brits with the disease, one of whom, a 56-year-old ex-police officer and expedition guide named Martin Anstee, was evacuated and is receiving medical care in the Netherlands. The second Brit, a 69-year-old man, is in intensive care in Johannesburg. Five out of eight suspected cases from the ship have been confirmed, including a passenger who passed away.
The ship is expected to dock in Tenerife, where UK government staff will assist British nationals. Passengers and crew without symptoms will be flown back to the UK. Although no symptoms have been reported among British citizens onboard, they will be required to isolate upon returning home. The UK Foreign Office has issued a health warning regarding hantavirus in Argentina.
Investigators believe that the first cases on the cruise ship, involving a Dutch couple who subsequently died, may have originated during a bird-watching trip across South American countries. The outbreak is under investigation, with focus on Argentina as the ship’s departure point. Two other Brits are currently self-isolating in the UK as a precaution. Four British nationals who left the ship at St Helena are being monitored, and medical support will be provided on the island.
British passengers from the MV Hondius may need to self-isolate for 45 days upon their return to the UK, according to health officials.
