Two British evacuees from the MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak are improving in hospital, according to reporting cited in the research. WHO says the cluster has reached eight reported cases and three deaths, and fresh reporting says a third Briton on Tristan da Cunha has a suspected infection.
Two British evacuees from the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak are said to be improving in hospital, as health authorities and new reporting point to a widening British link to the hantavirus cluster.
The World Health Organization said on Thursday that eight cases had been reported in the outbreak, including three deaths and five confirmed hantavirus infections. WHO said the virus involved is Andes virus and warned that more cases may still be reported as tracing continues.
The UK Health Security Agency said three people, including one British national, had been evacuated to receive medical care in the Netherlands and that it was coordinating with partners. Reporting cited in the research says two British evacuees are now improving, one in Johannesburg and one in the Netherlands.
Fresh reporting on Friday added that a third Briton on Tristan da Cunha has a suspected hantavirus infection linked to the same cruise-ship outbreak. That report has not yet been confirmed by lab testing, but it suggests the UK connection to the cluster may widen further.
The outbreak first came to WHO’s attention on May 2. WHO updated the case count on May 7, and the latest reporting on May 8 indicates tracing, support for contacts and repatriation efforts are continuing.
The immediate questions are whether the Tristan da Cunha case is confirmed, whether any further passengers or contacts develop symptoms, and how the medical and isolation arrangements develop as monitoring continues.
Revision note
Updated with new reporting on a suspected third British case and refreshed outbreak context.