A British man in his 60s, quarantined in Milan over hantavirus fears despite showing no symptoms, was taken from his bed and breakfast and will now remain locked up for a month. He was stopped at the guesthouse in the Pasteur area of Milan, along with a 50-year-old man who had joined him in Italy.
Officials in Milan said they were alerted by the UK Ministry of Health and traced the men to their B&B late on Tuesday night. Both were taken to Sacco hospital by police. Both have tested negative for hantavirus, but the older man has been told to remain in Italy as he is deemed a close contact of Dutch woman Mirijam Schilperood, who died in South Africa and was aboard the MV Hondius.
Schilperood, who had been on the April 25 Airlink flight from St Helena to Johannesburg, was sitting in seat 13C. A subsequent positive hantavirus case sat in 14B, while the British passenger was in 15F. The man then flew to Italy, where he spent 17 days touring Rome, Florence, Venice, and the Cinque Terre near Genoa.
Mrs Schilperood's husband Leon also died on the ship, and the two are thought to have contracted the rat-borne Andes virus strain while travelling in southern Argentina, where it is prevalent.
Guido Bertolaso of the health department at Lombardy council in Milan said: 'Both men were identified at their B&B after details were provided by British authorities. One is in his 60s and a resident of St Helena, while the other is younger, in his 50s. Neither is showing symptoms, and both have tested negative, but the older man will remain in quarantine in Italy until June 6 to ensure he doesn't develop the virus. The younger man will be allowed to return home.'
The alert was received from UK authorities at 2:14pm local time on Tuesday, and the men were found just before 8pm when they returned to their B&B. Test results were confirmed at 5am on Wednesday. The older man will stay in the hospital or another site, as he cannot quarantine in the B&B because it is not adequate. The younger man is not deemed a close contact, but he has been advised to continue testing and watch for symptoms.
The UK government notified Italian authorities about the British tourist, who had visited various countries, including Amsterdam, before arriving in Milan, where his travel plans halted abruptly. Because he had no private accommodation and was staying in a B&B, he will endure the entire quarantine in a single room in the Infectious Diseases ward of the hospital.
Meanwhile, 10 Britons from South Atlantic islands linked to the cruise ship outbreak are set to be brought to the UK in case they develop the illness, officials have revealed. The group, residents of the UK overseas territories of Saint Helena and Ascension Island, are being flown to Britain to complete their self-isolation. All are British and include people who left the cruise ship in Saint Helena, plus medical staff who have been in contact with them.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the total included four individuals in Saint Helena who were on the cruise ship and six close contacts on Ascension Island. None are symptomatic, and their final destination in Britain is unknown, but the move was described as precautionary to support communities in UK overseas territories. Once in Britain, they will get access to NHS infectious disease specialists should they become ill, and the UKHSA will set out where they will isolate in due course.
It comes as 20 British nationals from the MV Hondius, together with a German who is a UK resident, and a Japanese passenger, who have been isolating at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral in Merseyside, prepare to leave the facility. They were taken there on Sunday night after the ship docked in Tenerife for a three-day isolation and assessment period. They will isolate for another 42 days at home.
The UKHSA said of this group: 'Public health and clinical specialists have assessed each passenger's individual circumstances, and, where it is safe and possible, tailored support packages will be provided to enable people to isolate at home. Health protection teams across the UK will continue to monitor and support everyone after they leave the facility, with daily contact throughout the isolation period to ensure they can isolate safely.'
The statement also said a small number of individuals who have been isolating at home or elsewhere in England will also be assessed at the hospital. Previously, it was reported that two Britons who returned to the UK from the ship early have been isolating at home. They contacted officials after hearing about the outbreak. Neither has developed symptoms, but they will stay at Arrowe Park while they continue to isolate.
Professor Robin May, chief scientific officer at UKHSA, said: 'We are grateful to the passengers for their cooperation and patience in what we appreciate has been a very unsettling period for all involved. As this first assessment period concludes, our priority remains to ensure everyone is safe and well supported, wherever they complete their isolation. Our teams will continue to be there for all of the affected individuals every step of the way.'
Earlier, a statement from the Ascension Island Government said a small number of individuals currently on St Helena who travelled on the vessel have been assessed as higher risk. It said: 'While the likelihood of illness remains low, UKHSA has advised that they should be the subject of pre-emptive relocation to the UK to complete their self-isolation. This is being arranged, and they will be fully supported on arrival.'
